Two Mississippi men, Robert Lewis Elliott III and Devin Alonzo Elliott, have been charged in federal court for allegedly using counterfeit U.S. currency to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a Pineville, North Carolina store. The charges include conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations and passing counterfeit obligations. The indictment was filed in August 2025 and unsealed following the defendants’ recent court appearance.
According to the indictment, the two men traveled from Okolona, Mississippi to Pineville in June 2025 with the intent to defraud a jewelry store. On June 26, they visited the store and expressed interest in buying about $300,000 worth of high-end items. They paid a $1,000 cash deposit and agreed to return the next day.
The following day, prosecutors allege that Robert Elliott provided a $10,000 stack of genuine $100 bills for verification by an employee using standard detection methods. Using sleight-of-hand techniques, he then swapped these authentic bills with counterfeit notes before placing them into the store’s safe. This process was repeated until all of the fake currency had been deposited.
After completing this transaction, Elliott claimed he needed more cash and identification from his car to finalize the sale but instead fled with Devin Elliott and another individual. The stolen merchandise included several luxury watches—such as a Patek Phillipe diamond watch valued at $90,000—and various pieces of jewelry totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Both defendants were released on bond pending further proceedings. If convicted on all counts, they face up to five years in prison for conspiracy and up to twenty years for passing counterfeit obligations. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge based on applicable guidelines.
“The charges against the defendants are merely allegations and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” according to authorities.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson acknowledged assistance from both the U.S. Secret Service Charlotte Field Office and the Pineville Police Department during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley is prosecuting the case.
