NEWARK, N.J. — A Texas woman was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for her role in a counterfeit coupon scheme that caused more than $17 million in losses to retailers and manufacturers across the United States, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Janet Bernal, 49, of San Antonio, was sentenced Sept. 9 by U.S. District Judge William Martini in Newark federal court. Bernal previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bernal orchestrated a scheme from June 2020 through August 2024 to produce and sell counterfeit coupons that purchasers could use at retail stores throughout the country, including large pharmacies and grocery stores.
Prosecutors said Bernal offered the counterfeit coupons through a monthly fee-based subscription group on a commonly used internet cloud-based messaging application. Members paid a monthly fee and received unlimited access to numerous types of counterfeit coupons Bernal posted for download.
Members paid the subscription fees through mobile cash accounts directly controlled by Bernal, according to prosecutors.
Over the course of the scheme, members downloaded thousands of counterfeit coupons and redeemed them at retail stores throughout New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States. The scheme resulted in more than $17 million in losses to retail stores and manufacturers whose products were purchased using the counterfeit coupons.
In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Martini sentenced Bernal to two years of supervised release and ordered her to forfeit $67,290.68.
Bernal was also ordered to pay $17,865,614.70 in restitution.
