3 Convicted Of Fraud Scheme at Victoria Grocery Store

Two women and one man from Lynchburg were found guilty recently in Lunenburg Circuit Court of Conspiring to Pass a Forged Check in a fraud scheme that would have netted them $488 in cash if it had not been for alert store employees at the Victoria Food Lion.

Akeama Unique Culbreath

Akeama Unique Culbreath, age 34 years, Phyllis Marie Gregory, age 38 years, and Lawrence Robert Paysinger, age 28 years, are also facing criminal charges in Charlotte County for conducting the same scheme there on the same day, May 7, 2014, successfully collecting $488 in cash.

According to Commonwealth’s Robert Clement, Paysinger and Gregory entered the Food Lion Store and attempted to cash what looked like a payroll check from a Farmville business.  The clerk felt something was not right about the check and took it to her assistant manager. He recalled an email sent out by Food Lion of fake payroll checks being passed in Bedford.  The Victoria police were called, and arrived quickly.  By that time, Culbreath, who was driving the car, had come inside looking for the two, but pretended not to know them.

Phyllis Gregory

Police were able to ascertain from Paysinger and Gregory that they had given their personal information to Culbreath, and that she had obtained the checks in their names.  Paysinger said he kept $100 of the check cashed in Charlotte, and Gregory said she was to get about $70 of the $488.  The rest would go to Culbreath.

Culbreath put the blame on Paysinger and Gregory, and said they got the checks from a man in a black truck in the parking lot.  Police said they did not see a truck matching her description.

Culbreath was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but four months suspended, and Gregory was sentenced to 5 years with all but 8 months suspended.  Paysinger was

Lawrence Paysinger

sentenced to five years with all suspended. The difference in active sentences was attributed to the difference in their respective criminal records, and that Culbreath is facing multiple charges in Campbell County, Charlotte County and was recently convicted in Bedford County with an active jail sentence of three months.

The defendants all received conditions of good behavior, supervised probation upon their release for one year, warrantless searches and seizures, and staying out of Lunenburg County for five years upon their respective releases.  Paysinger, who had only a prior misdemeanor conviction in 2008, must also perform 100 hours of community service.