Two of the three Starkville men charged with operating a counterfeit money scheme in late 2009 were sentenced to prison time Tuesday in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court.

Larry Pritchard, 41, of 135 Sandhill Road, Apt. 98, pleaded guilty to one count of uttering counterfeit money and was sentenced by Judge Lee Howard to serve 10 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, though Howard suspended nine of those years. Pritchard also must faces five years of post-release supervision and must pay a $500 fine and $365.04 in restitution.

Pritchard is accused of knowingly giving counterfeit $50 bills to Joe Gillespie, now 24, on Dec. 1, 2009, to use at the Starkville Walmart on Highway 12. Prosecutors allege a Walmart employee, Carlton Fisher Jr., now 21, also was involved.

According to police, after Pritchard gave $200 in counterfeit $50s to Gillespie, Gillespie went to the jewelry counter at Walmart, where Fisher was working. Gillespie used the four counterfeit $50 bills to buy a ring and then left the store, according to police. Gillespie then went back to the store and attempted to return the ring at the customer service desk for a cash refund, but was directed to return to the jewelry department. There, Fisher gave Gillespie a refund with real dollars, not counterfeit bills, police said.

When Gillespie left the store, he got into a white Lincoln Town Car driven by Pritchard.

Gillespie, who has previous convictions for burglary of a business, simple assault on a police officer, shoplifting and public drunk, pleaded guilty Tuesday to being an accessory after the fact to a felony and was sentenced by Howard to one year in the MDOC, four years of post-release supervision and a $500 fine. Gillespie claims he did not know the bills Pritchard gave him were counterfeit.

Howard did not accept the guilty plea of Fisher, who was charged with conspiracy to utter counterfeit money, and instead gave Fisher five years of probation. Fisher also must pay a $750 fine.

Fisher, who had no prior felonies, but was convicted once for driving under the influence, claims he did not know the money was counterfeit and that he was only completing a transaction and refund in accordance with the duties of his job.

Pritchard has prior felony convictions for possession of counterfeit money, robbery and armed robbery, along with two misdemeanor convictions.

Counterfeit $50 bills with the same serial numbers as those used at Walmart also were used at a handful of convenience stores throughout Starkville around the same time in late 2009.

In other court business Tuesday, Howard sentenced Christopher Harrell to five years in the MDOC for two counts of sale of more than 30 grams of marijuana. Harrell also must pay $1,000 in fines and faces five years of post-release supervision.

Judge Jim Kitchens sentenced Jarod Gibson to three years in the MDOC, but suspended the sentence and gave Gibson three years of probation, for possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana, but less than 250 grams. Gibson also must pay a $300 fine and $250 in restitution.

Howard sentenced Christopher Gibson to three years in the MDOC, but suspended the sentence and gave Gibson three years of probation, for possession of more than 30 grams of marijuana, but less than 250 grams. Gibson also must pay a $1,000 fine.

Kitchens did not accept the guilty plea of Russell Hobson to one count of being an accessory after the fact and instead gave Hobson three years of probation. Hobson also must pay a $500 fine.

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