Plea deal struck for woman in local counterfeiting case

A woman arrested earlier this year in conjunction with an investigation into counterfeit money passed at area businesses has pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges.

Briana Sifuentez, 19, of Sidney, appeared in Cheyenne County District Court with her lawyer, Michael Samuelson, on Tuesday afternoon to enter her pleas.

Sifuentez originally faced two charges of possession of forged instrument, Class IV felonies. However, in a plea agreement, she pleaded no contest to two charges of criminal attempt of possession of forged instrument, Class I misdemeanors.

According to court documents, Tuesday was the deadline for a plea deal. A jury trial had already been scheduled for May.

During the hearing, District Court Judge Derek C. Weimer said the amended charges had been filed earlier that day.

He also explained to Sifuentez that each count of the charges she faced carried a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a possible $1,000 fine. Any potential jail time imposed could be ordered to be served consecutively or concurrently, he added.

After accepting Sifuentez’s plea, Weimer ordered sentencing for Tuesday, June 9 at 10:30 a.m.

A joint investigation by the Sidney Police Department, Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, WING Drug Task Force and the Scottsbluff Police Department led to Sifuentez’s arrest, along with Tony Christensen, 22, of Englewood, Colo., in late January.

The two were arrested at a residence in Dalton during the execution of a search warrant after counterfeit money was reportedly passed to several Sidney businesses.

At the time of her arrest, counterfeit money was found in a wallet in Sifuentez’s purse, according the court documents.