Little Rock – Jane W. Duke, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with William C. Temple, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today the guilty plea of Goldie LuJoyce Holt, age 39, of Mabelvale , Arkansas . Holt pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting others in the commission of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud Money Gram and its agents, including Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 

On October 3, 2007 Holt was indicted with co-defendant, Tammy Annette Butler, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.  Essentially, the scheme involved the defendants calling Money Gram locations in Wal-Mart stores around the country pretending to be employees of either Money Gram or Wal-Mart’s home offices and requesting that “test” money transfers be entered into the Money Gram system. Then, with no money changing hands, either the defendants or their co-conspirators would pick up the money from the fraudulent “test transactions” at a Money Gram location in the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement, Holt pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud in exchange for dismissal of the remaining counts against her. Holt’s plea was accepted by the Honorable Bill Wilson, Jr., United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Holt faces a maximum penalty of imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years. Holt agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $265,747.32.

Holt’s co-defendant, Tammy Annette Butler, age 39, of Little Rock , pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 24, 2007 . On March 21, 2008 , Butler was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.  Butler was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $320,249.32.

“These people thought they were being very clever in their scheme.  However, in the end,  they were not clever enough to avoid prosecution,” stated Duke.  “Thanks to the internal controls of Money Gram and the quick response of the FBI, this fraud was detected and thoroughly investigated.”

The case was investigated by the Little Rock Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with Money Gram fraud investigators and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura G. Hoey.