Cuban Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison For Role in Conspiracy Involving Fraudulent Bank Cards

DALLAS — Jesus Aldana Gutierrez, 33, a Cuban citizen, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 60 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy involving fraudulent purchases in North Texas using counterfeit bank cards, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Gutierrez pleaded guilty in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.  He has been in custody since he was arrested in September 2016.  Judge Fitzwater also ordered Gutierrez to pay $408,596.46 in restitution, joint and severally with his codefendants.

According to documents filed in the case, from at least January 2015 through July 2016, Gutierrez and others obtained lists of credit and debit card numbers belonging to other individuals online.  Gutierrez and his coconspirators used the card information to create counterfeit bank cards using devices to encode the cards with the fraudulently obtained account information.  The defendants went to various retail stores and purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards with the counterfeit cards.  The defendants then took those purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards to other stores and purchased items, including other gift cards, to further launder the illegally obtained money.

The scheme was discovered after an investigator from JPMorgan Chase observed a large volume of fraudulent transactions being made with unauthorized JPMorgan Chase debit card numbers at Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area.  JPMorgan Chase’s investigator worked with Walmart investigators to collect surveillance footage and conduct surveillance of the defendants engaging in the fraudulent transactions.       

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Plano Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie L. Hoxie and Shane Read prosecuted.

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