A San Antonio woman has been indicted on charges of orchestrating a scheme involving the production and sale of counterfeit coupons that reportedly caused $17 million in losses for retailers across the United States. The federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a six-count indictment against 48-year-old Janet Bernal for her alleged crimes, as announced by United States Attorney Alina Habba.
The indictment includes one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. From June 2020 to August 2024, Bernal is accused of producing and selling counterfeit coupons usable in retail locations, including large pharmacy chains and grocery stores across the country.
According to the indictment, Bernal ran a subscription-based group where participants paid a monthly fee through mobile cash accounts she controlled. This subscription granted unlimited access to downloadable counterfeit coupons. Throughout the scheme, participants allegedly downloaded and redeemed thousands of counterfeit coupons, leading to substantial financial losses for both retail stores and product manufacturers.
Each count of conspiracy and wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or double the gain or loss from the offense, per count.
The investigation resulting in Bernal's indictment was credited to postal inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service, led by Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen in Newark. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
It is crucial to note that the charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Janet Bernal remains innocent unless proven guilty.