Tennesseans arrested in $700,000 Wal-Mart scam

Five Nashville residents are accused of bilking nearly $700,000 from Wal-Mart by using bad checks to purchase prepaid debit cards from stores in Middle Tennessee and five other states.

Bernard Stanton, Connie Rena Stanton, Troice Leslie Stanton, Shawanna Nicole Bolden and Canisha Denise Alred were indicted last week on conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud charges. All five had been arrested as of Tuesday, said Sandra G. Moses, an assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville. Bolden was released with conditions Monday pending trial.

According to the indictment, the group's scheme involved presenting checks to Wal-Mart cashiers with a note attached to it directing the cashier to process the check as cash. The note would be signed "CSM" to mislead cashiers into thinking it had been signed by a customer service manager. The checks were stolen or written on closed accounts, according to the indictment, and were used to purchase prepaid debit cards, usually in the amount of $900.

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