Manitowoc Woman Receives Prison Time for Money Laundering Scheme Involving Millions
United States Attorney Brad Schimel announced that on January 27, 2026, Cherie Campion (age: 64) was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, by United Stated District Judge Lynn Adelman. Campion was also ordered to pay over $10 million in restitution.
Campion, through her temporary staffing agency, generated and submitted thousands of fraudulent invoices, causing respective losses of $5,000,000 and $5,389,371.51 for the two companies she deceived. Campion pled guilty to two counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i).
While imposing sentence, Judge Adelman emphasized that this was “significant” misconduct, involving large dollar amounts and lies that continued over the course of years. Judge Adelman also noted that Campion’s crimes were sophisticated and involved “intricate operations,” including the generation of fake financial records; the creation of a fictitious persona to deceive her victims; and Campion’s employment of a “voice modulator” to facilitate her deception. Although Judge Adelman concluded that Campion was unlikely to reoffend, given her age and lack of prior criminal history, Judge Adelman nevertheless believed an imprisonment term was necessary to “promote general deterrence,” and hopefully dissuade other would-be white-collar criminals.
“As the Judge said, this should be a message to all would-be fraudsters and embezzlers that they will be caught and imprisoned,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “I am proud of the very capable and hard-working investigation and prosecution team that brought this offender to justice.”
“Cherie Campion devised an elaborate fraud scheme which caused significant loss to the victims. The sentencing of Campion and the accompanying restitution order of more than $10 million serves justice for the victims of this fraud scheme,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to diligently pursue those who defraud and exploit others for personal gain.”
“Today’s sentencing of Campion demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who engage in deception and fraud,” said Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation provides financial investigative expertise in our joint work with our law enforcement partners. Pooling the skills of each agency creates a formidable team to uncover wrongdoing. Today’s actions highlight our collective efforts to enforce the law and protect the public’s trust.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service works diligently to preserve the integrity of the U.S. Mail,” said Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “This sentencing reflects the successful teamwork across many federal law enforcement agencies. We want the public to know that Postal Inspectors will aggressively pursue anyone who attempts to use the Postal Service for criminal activity. We will not allow the U.S. Mail to be used to commit fraud, and we aim to keep the mail safe and secure for the American public.”
“Ms. Campion’s fraud caused significant losses to the two affected companies,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Regional Office. “This type of sophisticated fraud scheme not only causes losses to the victim companies but also undermines the integrity of our Nation’s banks when fraud proceeds are laundered through our financial systems. Her prison sentence and significant restitution of over $10 million should send a message that FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring these schemes to a halt.”
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Knight.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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