Wellington Man Charged with Credit Card Fraud

A Palm Beach County resident is charged with using unauthorized personal identification information to facilitate a credit card fraud scheme.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Delany De-Leon Colon, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, made the announcement. 

Kesner Joaseus, 46, of Wellington, FL, was charged by criminal complaint with aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, and bank fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A, 1029(a)(2) and 1344 (Case No. 15-CR-8006).  If convicted, Joaseus faces up to 30 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines on the bank fraud charge, up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on the access device fraud charge, and two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.

According to the criminal complaint, Joaseus used the personal identifiers, including the date of birth and Social Security number, of several victims to fraudulently obtain credit cards and then used the unauthorized cards to purchase merchandise and withdraw cash at various locations in Palm Beach County and elsewhere.  The unauthorized merchandise purchases included two Mercedes-Benz automobiles.  The total fraud loss resulting from the fraudulent scheme is estimated at over $260,000. 

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the USPIS.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Jorgensen.

A complaint is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.