Orlando Man Sentenced To 8 Years For Credit Card Fraud

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Sirrico Lewis (42, Orlando) to 8 years in federal prison for access device fraud. Lewis was also ordered to pay $754,864.55 in restitution and to serve a 3-year term of supervision, following his release from prison.  Lewis pleaded guilty to an Information in December 2013.

According to court documents, Lewis and others engaged in a scheme to defraud several Central Florida area Sam’s Clubs and Wal-Mart stores through the fraudulent acquisition of duplicate Sam’s Club credit cards, and the subsequent use of those credit cards. To facilitate the crimes, a conspirator would manufacture counterfeit identification documents of existing Sam’s Club customers. Lewis and others then obtained those counterfeit identification documents, took them to various Sam’s Clubs, and used them to obtain duplicate credit cards on existing accounts. The co-conspirators then used those credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at area Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart stores, or they turned the cards over to another conspirator who would either make fraudulent purchases or get another person to do so. The fraudulently-purchased items would be sold, with the proceeds from those sales being divided amongst the conspirators. The total amount of actual loss suffered by the victims of this scheme is over $2 million. Of that amount, Lewis was involved in over $750,000 in fraudulent transactions.

Lewis is the second individual to be sentenced in this case. On October 30, 2012, Reginald Holley pleaded guilty to access device fraud. Holley was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison on January 14, 2013.

These cases were investigated by the United States Secret Service. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.