CASPER, Wyo. — A Casper man was sentenced to two to four years in prison Thursday for his role in a Facebook Marketplace scam where victims sold property and received movie prop cash instead of real money.
Jordan Lee Schmidt, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forgery and conspiracy to commit theft. The fake currency mimicked U.S. bills, misleading victims into believing they were legitimate.
Schmidt told Judge Catherine Wilking that he and three co-conspirators had ordered the prop money online, and all four are responsible for repaying $2,030 to the six reported victims.
Supervising public defender Dylan Rozales noted that Schmidt’s sentence for the fake money case will be added to an upcoming felony probation revocation for an April 2024 burglary, in which Schmidt helped steal a welder from a backyard shed. Schmidt had previously received an eight- to 10-year suspended sentence for the burglary.
Over half a dozen people, including car wash and gas station employees, reported encountering the counterfeit bills in April and May. Some noted the currency “felt weird,” and counterfeit detection pens revealed black stripes instead of the yellow markings found on real currency. Many bills were subtly labeled with “Movie Prop Use Only,” “Copy,” and “Not Legal Tender.”
Schmidt and his girlfriend, Amber Ferre, were arrested in the case. Another Casper couple, Gavin Pfrimmer and Alexa Lafferty, had outstanding warrants and were arrested together at a Motel 6 in July.
Schmidt is the last of the four co-conspirators to plead guilty. Court records show:
Gavin Pfrimmer, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit forgery on Sept. 10. The state may seek up to six years in prison.
Alexa Lafferty, 23, pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, with a probation agreement if no violations occur before sentencing.
Amber Ferre pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, also with a probation agreement.
