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Two Tampa Men Charged in Massive Credit Card Fraud Scheme
A pair of Tampa men has been hit with a 31-count indictment for their alleged roles in a massive credit card fraud scheme. Yannier Arias (29) and Jose Ojeda Vera (25) face up to 25 years in prison if convicted, accused of conspiring to commit credit card fraud and identity theft.
According to the indictment, Arias and Vera obtained and used counterfeit and unauthorized credit cards that had been encoded with stolen credit card account information. In many cases, the stolen information had been obtained by “skimming” victims’ credit cards at local gas stations. The fraudulent credit cards were embossed and encoded with names and account numbers belonging to individuals who were often unaware that they had been victimized. Many learned that their information had been stolen when they were notified by law enforcement. Arias and Vera allegedly used these stolen identities and credit cards to purchase merchandise from local stores.
The indictment, unsealed on August 27, 2015, charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, with a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. They also face up to 10 years in prison for each of the 20 counts of credit card fraud and 2 years for each of the 10 counts of identity theft.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
The indictment marks the latest development in a growing trend of credit card skimming cases in the Tampa area. Residents are advised to closely monitor their credit card accounts and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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