Karen Guzman entered into a plea agreement in her counterfeit coupon case on Thursday, July 13, 2023.  She pled no contest to a felony violation of CA Penal Code Section 496(a) (receiving stolen goods).

As part of her plea agreement, the remaining three counts were dismissed with a Harvey Waiver.  A Harvey Waiver allows the dismissed counts to be considered in sentencing.

Ms. Guzman was sentenced to 90 days in jail, placed on 2 years of formal felony probation, ordered to stay away from all CVS and Target stores for 2 years, and not to have any contact with CVS/Target employees for 2 years.  Restitution was reserved, and the restitution amount is currently being reviewed by the Judge.

Points of Interest

  • More than $200,000 in products were recovered when search warrants were executed.
  • CVS Asset Protection Professionals conducted a first-rate investigation of the situation.
  • CIC Members provided support on this case by verifying the status of multiple counterfeit coupons.
  • This case marks the first field use of the CIC® Suspect Coupon Checker App by a retailer in connection with an investigation that led to criminal charges.
  • CIC Staff provided additional assistance and expertise.

Background Information