Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Access Device Fraud

BUFFALO, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Taylor Vaughn Oliver, 28, a Canadian resident, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny, to access device fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Rogowski, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant made $18,000 worth of purchases using fraudulent credit cards, mostly gift cards.  Surveillance videos from many of the stores identified Oliver as the person using the fraudulent cards. The defendant was in the United States during three weekends when the purchases were made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Law enforcement officers  recovered approximately $10,000 in goods purchased with the fraudulently obtained gift cards from a storage unit.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of  Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.

            Sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. before Chief Judge William M. Skretny.