Three Sentenced For Roles in Conspiracy Involving Fraudulent Bank Cards

DALLAS — Today, U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater sentenced three defendants  for their roles 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.

Elvis Johanny Ortiz Reyes, 34, from Nicaragua, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $408,596.46 in restitution, joint and severally with his codefendants.  He pleaded guilty in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

Yaser Moreno, aka “Adrian Perez,” 27, from Cuba, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $408,596.46 in restitution, joint and severally with his codefendants.  He pleaded guilty in April 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.  

Norge Mayea, 45, also from Cuba, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $44,497.70 in restitution, joint and severally with his codefendants.  He pleaded guilty in July 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

A federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment in August 2016 charging Reyes, Moreno and Mayea, along with Jesus Aldana Gutierrez, Roberto Carlos Puebla Saavedra, Ivania Ortiz, aka “Ivania Reyes” and “Lisset Oz,” and Yokasta Garcia, aka “Kathy Garcia,” for their roles in the scheme.

According to documents filed in the case, from at least August 2014 through July 2016, the defendants obtained lists of credit and debit card numbers belonging to other individuals online.  They 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.

# # #