Colorado Woman Gets 4 Years in Prison for Multi-State Check Fraud and Identity Theft

A 41-year-old Colorado woman, Sarai Jamila Nyasha Freeman, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for her role in a multi-state counterfeit check scheme that included stealing a deceased person’s identity to cash fake U.S. Treasury checks.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell handed down the 48-month sentence on Monday. Freeman will also serve three years of supervised release and must pay $2,826 in restitution.

Freeman was convicted by a federal jury in March 2025 on five counts: two for passing counterfeit obligations and securities, two for aggravated identity theft, and one for failing to appear at her initial trial in December 2024.

The case stems from a July 2024 indictment that revealed Freeman used a deceased person’s identity in 2020 to cash two counterfeit Treasury checks in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, causing a $2,826 loss.

Authorities say Freeman’s actions in Oklahoma were part of a broader criminal operation stretching from Louisiana to Colorado, with additional fraudulent activity reported in Missouri and Arkansas.

Her legal troubles worsened when she skipped her December 2024 trial after being released on bond and provided a plane ticket to attend. She was later arrested by U.S. Marshals in Colorado.

Freeman had also been arrested on state charges just months before the federal case, accused of cashing four other fake checks. She again failed to appear in court after posting bond, leading to bench warrants.

She remains in custody and will soon be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin her sentence.

This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.