A sophisticated scheme to turn counterfeit cash into real currency was dismantled this week after investigators say adults were using children to unknowingly launder the money.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on December 6 when deputies received reports of counterfeit bills circulating at two businesses in a south Lakeland shopping plaza. Witnesses spotted a suspect leaving the scene as a passenger in a gray Kia SUV.
Detectives identified the suspect as 32-year-old Jean Armand of Tampa. Following his arrest and during questioning, Armand told investigators he wasn’t the source of the bills, claiming he received them from friends in Mulberry identified as Quinece Staton-Langley, 25, and Beyonce Bettyce Staton, 24.
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The case took a disturbing turn the following day. On December 7, deputies spotted the gray Kia SUV at U.S. 98 and Lyle Parkway in Bartow. When they conducted a traffic stop, they found both women inside, along with two children.
Investigators discovered one of the children holding a counterfeit $20 bill and a receipt from a Mulberry Taco Bell stamped earlier that day.
A closer look at the vehicle’s occupants revealed a significant amount of small legal currency. Beyonce Staton was found with $400 in ones, fives, and tens, while Quinece Staton-Langley was carrying $100 in similar small denominations.
The investigation unraveled a pattern of exploitation involving the minors. Detectives determined that a child used a fake $20 bill at a Dollar General store earlier that morning. Deputies then visited the Taco Bell listed on the receipt found in the car; employees confirmed a child matching the description had used a fake $20 to make a small purchase, receiving real currency as change.
Similar activity was reported at a nearby pizza restaurant, where a child used a fake $20 bill to buy a small item and walked out with the change.
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During an interview with detectives, the child explained that the women provided the counterfeit $20 bills and issued specific instructions: go into the stores, buy something small, and bring the change back to the car.
When questioned, both women denied the allegations, telling deputies they were visiting the various businesses because they were “looking for employment.”
Jean Armand, Beyonce Staton, and Quinece Staton-Langley are now facing multiple felony charges.
Both women were charged with Scheme to Defraud, Petit Theft, Uttering Forged Bills, Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
Armand faces charges of Scheme to Defraud, Petit Theft, and Uttering Forged Bills. He is currently being held on an unrelated Hillsborough County warrant for driving without a license and operating an unregistered vehicle.
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