Staff Report
Published June 17, 2011

A Charleston man has been indicted on charges of passing counterfeit business checks and perpetrating identity theft, according to the U.S. attorney.

James Edward Seymore, 46, of Charleston was charged with eight counts of passing counterfeit business checks, one count of identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft, which is identity theft that occurs during the commission of another felony.

If convicted, Seymore could receive a $2 million fine and 80 years in prison for the counterfeit check charges, U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles said. The maximum sentence he could receive for the identity theft charges is $500,000 and 17 years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Dean H. Secor, assistant U.S. attorney in Charleston.