August 2, 2007
For more information contact:
Alan Sprowls - (850)-942-8430
Two Men Arraigned on Conspirary Charges, Use of Counterfeit Devices, Identity Theft
TALLAHASSEE - United States Attorney Gregory R. Miller announced today that on August 1, 2007, Rodney Esteny (25) and Judson Brunot (21) were arraigned in federal court on an indictment charging them with conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices, unlawful use of counterfeit access devices, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028 and 1029.
The indictment alleges that Esteny, Brunot, and a third defendant, John Thomas, conspired with servers at restaurants in Tallahassee and South Florida to obtain the names, account numbers and expiration dates of credit and debit cards used by the restaurants’ customers. The servers stole this credit and debit card information by using a portable magnetic strip reader that captured the account information from the customers’ cards. This stolen account information was passed among the members of the conspiracy and then encoded onto the magnetic stripe on the back of genuine credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards. These fraudulent cards were then used to purchase items, such as big-screen televisions and iPods at retail stores in Tallahassee and elsewhere.
If convicted, Esteny and Brunot face a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment for use of unauthorized access devices, and a consecutive minimum mandatory term of two years’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service in cooperation with the Tallahassee Police Department. Trial is scheduled for October 1, 2007, in Tallahassee.
An indictment is merely a formal charging document. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.