Former Orono Convenience Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Fraud

BANGOR, Maine:  A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to access device fraud, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in January 2020, Mohammad K. Mohmand, 43, formerly of Orono, operated the Orono Thriftway Food Center convenience store. Mohmand used a payment terminal at the store to process over $100,000 in false credit and debit card returns to the accounts of family and friends. The false returns caused illegitimate payments to be received by the account holders and the bank account linked to the store’s card settlements to be overdrawn, resulting in losses to a financial institution. 

Mohmand faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Orono Police Department.

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