3 Calif. Women Expected To Plead Guilty To Counterfeiting

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) -- Three California women are expected to plead guilty to federal counterfeiting charges stemming from their August arrest in central Nebraska.

Court records show 22-year-old Arena Adanandus, of San Pablo, Calif., 30-year-old Khadija Thompson, 30, of Oakland, Calif.; and 19-year-old Lanesha Paxton, of Stockton, Calif., have scheduled change-of-plea hearings in U.S. District Court for late February or early March. A trial scheduled for this past Monday was canceled.

A grand jury indicted each of the women on seven counterfeiting counts.

The indictment says the women passed $1,300 worth of fake traveller's checks in Kearney and were in possession of $34,200 in bogus currency when they were arrested.

State charges against the women were dropped in light of the federal prosecution.

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