BOISE, IDAHO – A traveling crew of thieves, led by Alejandro Hidalgo, 27, Dilcia Martinez-Marquez, 27, Enrique Matos-Herrera, 30, and Jose Salazar-Quintana, 30, were sentenced to prison for using stolen debit card numbers to make over $30,000 of fraudulent purchases at local Walmart stores and other businesses.
According to court records, the defendants, who are all Cuban nationals living in Amarillo, Texas, used stolen debit card numbers obtained from “dark web” internet sites to fraudulently encode the stolen account numbers onto the magnetic strips of stock gift cards.
The crew then used the re-encoded cards to purchase new gift cards and other merchandise at Walmart and Walgreens stores in the Treasure Valley. They were eventually apprehended by the Meridian Police Department on October 16, 2015, after a tip from the public.
Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Hidalgo, Matos-Herrera, and Salazar-Quintana to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez-Marquez was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
Co-defendants Luis Mejias-Fiz, 27, and Eslay Monzon, 43, who pleaded guilty before trial and testified against their co-conspirators, were sentenced to 25 months and 21 months in prison, respectively.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., the defendants made over $30,000 in fraudulent purchases. They were also ordered to pay $30,620.58 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department and the United States Secret Service. The defendants were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and various counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two years in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News