Missouri woman sentenced to 12 years for counterfeit scheme

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri woman faces 12 years in federal prison for leading a fraud scheme.

The U.S. attorney's office for western Missouri says in a release that 56-year-old Lisa Kaye Barwick-Majeski of St. Robert was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison without parole. She also has to pay about $49,000 in restitution to her victims and a money judgment to the government of about $1.5 million.

Barwick-Majeski pleaded guilty earlier to participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Authorities say the scheme involved unindicted co-conspirators in Nigeria and thousands of victims who were tricked into cashing up to $3 million in counterfeit money orders and cashier's checks.

Several other co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and have been sentenced.