Norfolk, VA. The top five customers of convicted coupon counterfeiter Lori Ann Talens have been sentenced to prison, ordered to pay restitution, and years of supervised release.
Name & Town Prison Restitution
Sherise Williams, Palmetto, Florida 41 months $966,067
Melissa Apodaca, Thornton, Colorado 18 months $440,571
Jennifer Snyder, Lavon, Texas 15 months $218,517
Cindi Swindle, Jacksonville, Florida 12 months $201,650
Amber Teague, Louisville, Kentucky 6 months $111,811
Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) Executive Director Bud Miller testified during the Williams sentencing and informed the court that he first became aware of her when a detective contacted him regarding suspect coupons found in a hotel room after Ms. Williams was arrested for assaulting an individual in Kissimmee, Florida.
After the hearing, Miller said, “This marks the first time multiple buyers of counterfeit coupons have been convicted of felonies and sentenced to prison, and it will not be the last. Talens, who led the counterfeiting ring, is currently serving a 12-year sentence. Talens cooperated with law enforcement in the investigation of her former customers.”
Consumers can avoid counterfeit coupons by getting real coupons from legitimate sources such as newspapers, direct mail, and authorized websites. Paying money to so-called coupon fairies creates a risk of receiving counterfeit or stolen coupons. Because coupons are distributed free of charge, any request for payment should be treated as a warning sign.
CIC is a nonprofit association of consumer product manufacturers that issue coupons and work proactively to combat coupon fraud. It provides retailers with free tools and support to help reduce exposure to counterfeit coupons, including the CIC® Suspect Coupon Checker App, the CIC Early Warning File, training, and other resources.
CIC and its members greatly appreciate the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing these offenders to justice. CIC supported the case with testimony and other assistance.
Department of Justice News Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/seven-people-sentenced-prison-their-roles-31m-coupon-fraud-scheme
Coupons in the News article: https://couponsinthenews.com/2026/06/16/coupon-counterfeiters-best-customer-is-sentenced-for-fraud/
Retailers: Scan this QR code to register for CIC’s Suspect Coupon Checker App. It’s Free!
