Seven Sentenced To Prison In Identity Theft And Credit Fraud Scam At Sam’s Club And Walmart Stores

Raleigh - United States Attorney John Stuart Bruce announced that today in federal court United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced seven defendants to federal prison for their participation in an identity theft and credit card scheme carried out at various Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. The Court also directed that each of the defendants serve terms of supervised release, and the forfeiture of the proceeds of their crimes.

In November of 2015, a grand jury issued a true bill of indictment charging ten defendants with engaging in a complicated scheme involving the use of stolen credit information. The indictment alleged that the defendants acquired stolen credit information from overseas hackers, and then encoded the stolen credit information onto plastic gift cards. Members of the conspiracy then took the counterfeit gift cards to Walmart locations in various states and used them to buy genuine Walmart gift cards. After acquiring genuine gift cards, the conspirators took them to Sam’s Club stores (who accept Walmart gift cards as tender) where they used them to purchase more than $1 Million in cigarettes. The conspirators then sold off the cigarettes for cash to various black market vendors.

The following previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Aggravated Identity Theft. Their information and sentence is listed below.

TENDAI MUNYARADZI MAKONI, 34, of Durham, NC, was sentenced to 144 months in prison.

MOMAR TALLA NDIR, 32, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

DABED DEL JESUS SANCHEZ, 22, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

MOMAR TALLA NDIR, 32, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

JOSEPH DAREN HOLCOMB, 43, of Charlotte, NC, was sentenced to 34 months in prison.

AARON KENT DAVIS, 23, of Raleigh, NC, was sentenced to 84 months in prison.

MARK TONY EVANS, 28, of New York, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Additionally, PA AMBROSE MENDY, 31, of Raleigh, NC, was convicted at trial in September of 2016, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Trafficking in Counterfeit Access Devices and Aiding and Abetting.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham Police Department, and the Fuquay Varina Police Department. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service also assisted in the prosecution of the case. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Kessler also represented the United States in the trial of Pa Mendy.