Two people from Jonesboro have been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after authorities discovered an elaborate counterfeiting operation when responding to a call of a home invasion.
Paul L. Black, also known as Marcus Lively, and Ednecdia Sutina Johnson, also known as Tina Johnson, were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for access device fraud, possession of device-making equipment, possession of false identification documents, and possession of a document-making implement.
Clayton County officers responded to a 911 call Dec. 21, 2011 reporting a home invasion at the residence of the defendants.
The officers found one would-be invader wounded at the front door and Black (Lively) wounded inside.
Inside the house the officers found a room containing a highly sophisticated credit card lab that contained credit card presses, computers, printers, card embossers, stacks of blank credit cards and partially completed cards, cash, and two handguns.
Ultimately, the United States Secret Service determined that the lab had more than 97,000 unique credit and debit card account numbers, more than 800 completed fraudulent credit cards, and about 100 fake IDs. They also found $199,000 in cash, more than $380,000 in jewelry, and gift cards worth more than $43,000.
Black, 48, and Johnson, 48, lived alone at the house. Both pleaded guilty in March.
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