Member of counterfeit savings bonds ring convicted following HSI, federal partner investigation

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A California woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to make, pass and transfer counterfeit U.S. savings bonds and passing counterfeit savings bonds on Oct. 5 before U.S. District Judge Roland Olvera. Her plea follows an investigation conducted by Homeland Secretary Investigations (HSI) with the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case with trial attorney David D. Hamstra of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Summer Marie Creech, 45, admitted that beginning in or around 2019 she learned how to acquire genuine Series I savings bonds numbers. She then used computer software and printers to forge counterfeit bonds. She then sent the bonds to co-conspirators, who passed them to financial institutions using other people’s identities and shared the proceeds with her.

Creech admitted that she and others passed over $1.6 million in counterfeit Series I savings bonds.

Olvera set sentencing for Dec. 20. Creech faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

Creech was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

One of Creech’s co-conspirators, Daniel Alan Lewis, 58, of California, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make, pass and transfer counterfeit U.S. securities and passing counterfeit U.S. securities. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 12.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of DHS, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.