Four Michigan Residents Charged with Credit Card Fraud

         BUFFALO, N.Y. --U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Rodney Gilliam, 25, of Southfield, Michigan, Raina Johnson, 22, of Detroit, Michigan, Deantuan Wiley, 24, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, and George Brown, 24, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit access device fraud.  The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. In addition, Wiley was charged with possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Rogowski, who is handling this case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 3, 2013, a vehicle the four defendants were riding in was searched at the Lewiston Bridge. Law enforcement officers found 98 counterfeit credit cards in the car. A subsequent investigation uncovered security surveillance videos from various retail stores in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York which captured the defendants using numerous counterfeit credit cards to purchase gift cards and other merchandise, some of which also were found in their vehicle.

The arrest is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of  Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.

            The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.