August 23, 2023 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ronnie Douglas Fleming, 37, of Keyes, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to passing a counterfeit obligation of the United States, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from March to May 2022, Fleming passed counterfeit treasury bonds on 10 occasions at banks in the Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. The banks paid Fleming more than $134,000 for the bonds.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service with assistance from the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.

Fleming is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 28, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Fleming faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.