Ft. Washington man sentenced in counterfeit check scheme

A 44-year-old Fort Washington man has been sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for running a counterfeit check scheme that cost banks hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Prosecutors said Michael M. Tinsley recruited bank and check-cashing store employees to photocopy checks to create counterfeits. He then told other conspirators to cash the checks at banks. The scheme resulted in a total loss of more than $200,000, according to prosecutors.