Las Cruces couple plead guilty to federal counterfeiting charges

Andrew Barnett, 36, and Summer Provencio, 36, both of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to conspiring to create and pass counterfeit U.S. currency.

Both with co-defendants Victoria Perez, 41, and Patrick Fernandez, 33, both of Las Cruces, were charged in a 183-count indictment filed on Feb. 15, 2017.

According to the indictment, the defendants committed these offenses in Dona Ana County, N.M.

Barnett created about 125 counterfeit $20 bills by printing copies on a home printer; this counterfeit currency was used to make purchases at a Las Cruces auto salvage business.

Provencio also pled guilty today to the conspiracy count of the indictment, and admitted that she used eight counterfeit five-dollar bills created by Barnett on a home printer to make a purchase at a Las Cruces beauty supply store.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Barnett pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy. In entering the guilty plea, Barnett admitted that from April 2016 through Sept. 2016, he conspired with his co-defendants to manufacture and use counterfeit U.S. currency.

According to his plea agreement, Barnett created eight counterfeit five-dollar bills by scanning a real five-dollar bill and printing copies on a home printer.

Barnett gave the counterfeit bills to Provencio, who used the bills to pay for hair and nail products at a Las Cruces beauty supply store.

At sentencing, Barnett and Provencio each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings have yet to be scheduled.

Perez and Fernandez have entered not guilty pleas to the charges in the indictment.