Phoenix coupon counterfeiting ringleader may only receive nine months in prison

Remember the multi-million-dollar counterfeit coupon ring that was busted in Phoenix last year? The ringleader has pled guilty, but she could face as little as nine months in prison. And, a former Maricopa County attorney isn’t pleased with the possibility of such a light sentence. From Phoenix’s KPHO.com:

In July 2012, officers shut down a major counterfeit coupon scam run by 41-year-old Robin Ramirez. A search of her home uncovered tens of millions of dollars in fake coupons which detectives say she sold on her website savvyshoppersite.com.

According to the plea agreement, Ramirez faces anywhere from nine months to two years in prison – in exchange for pleading guilty to counterfeiting.

“They brought charges,” said former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley. “So, you assume it’s (the case) prosecutable. You don’t bring charges without evidence. It’s too light of a sentence – it truly is.”

Romley tells CBS 5 News this deal is a dud for the public and Ramirez is getting off easy.

“It will just encourage other criminals to think ‘This is the cost of business. Heck yeah, I’m willing to do two years in jail. I got 30 million bucks out of it,'” he said.

Romley said prosecutors often place a higher priority on violent crimes. But, he points out white-collar crimes – like Ramirez’s counterfeiting scheme – also have a widespread and damaging effect on society.

“What I’ve seen over the years is at times prosecutors look at it as a lower-level crime,” said Romley. “(They feel) it’s victimless. And, what it does is encourages more white-collar thieves, con people, to commit these types of crimes.”

A spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Ramirez’s deal is based, in part, on the fact that the charges against her are non-violent and haven’t been brought against her before.

You can view a television report on the story below:

If you have an opinion on the severity of the sentencing in this case, you can contact the Maricopa County Prosecutor on the case to share your thoughts:

Mr. Thomas Marquoit
Prosecutor
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
301 West Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Contact form: https://www.maricopacountyattorney.org/contact-us.html