They probably distinguish between what they think and what they know. It could very well be they ran a “sting” and made a few transactions through the site and are only charging against those transactions to get extradition started while they assemble the larger case.
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replyIsn't it one count per distinct criminal act? I think they do it to keep things simple and sane. In some cases they'll drop some, or add more depending on how evidence grows and the case proceeds.
replythat was my understanding. i guess maybe they have evidence pointing to 5 distinct counterfeiting runs (of ~1MM stamps each) or something.
replyi know they like to throw more at the start for a better plea negotiation position, but 5 just seemed rather random here.
I just looked it up, it has something to do with the ones they're most likely to prove, so maybe they deeply documented at least one or more purchases through the website to document as much as possible about the case? It's possible they could uncover more as they continue investigating. You do raise a good point though, it also depends on how many stamps customers bought.
replyAs I understand, the feds don't bring charges until their evidence is really really solid. Federal prosecutors have more than a 95% conviction rate.
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