Cuban Citizen Pleads Guilty To Credit Card Fraud

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051
 
BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Eduardo Hernandez Quinones, 46, a native of Cuba, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that Hernandez fraudulently obtained the actual credit/debit card numbers of people and then encoded counterfeit cards with the information illegally obtained. The defendant and his co-conspirators then used the counterfeit cards to purchase merchandise at retail stores throughout Western New York. In addition, some of the defendants used the counterfeit cards to purchase gasoline from area gas stations and then re-sold the gasoline for cash. 
 
Quinones was charged along with five others Yasser Carrillo Chartrand, 23, Claudia Diaz Diaz, 21, Yaily Santurio Millian, 31, Jose Valdivia Quinones, 40 and Misael Toledo Rios, 39, all citizens of Cuba legally present in the United States. The fact that a defendant has been charged in an indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Kennedy, the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge C. Todd Laster, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto.
 
Sentencing is scheduled for November 2, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.