A 29-year-old Canadian man has pleaded guilty to a brazen pandemic-era scam targeting U.S. businesses with stolen credit cards and identities, officials announced Tuesday.
Robert Vinnik, 29, of Ontario, Canada, copped to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after a 10-count Superseding Indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in June 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the indictment, Vinnik and his associates operated a scheme to use stolen credit card and identity information to induce businesses to provide goods and services, including event tickets and personal protective equipment, to resell for a profit.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conspirators allegedly began targeting U.S.-based businesses selling scarce goods, including nitrile gloves, masks, and gowns, which they would then resell to third parties.
The scheme, which operated from Canada, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Greece, and Dubai, targeted sports teams and event venues throughout the United States and Canada, including Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Vinnik and his associates allegedly used 21 different alias email accounts and information from 52 stolen credit cards to purchase over 1,800 tickets to Oklahoma State University athletic events between November 2019 and January 2020, and in March 2020, they allegedly used stolen credit card information to purchase approximately $18,000 worth of toilet paper from a paper supply company in Oklahoma City.
Vinnik pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment on June 14, 2024, and admitted to conspiring with others to use stolen credit card and identity information to purchase goods and services, which they agreed to sell to third parties for a profit.
At sentencing, Vinnik faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Other defendants in the case have been sentenced, including Steven Mesrop, 32, who received 80 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Dijon Cornelius Shepard, 30, who received 20 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States; Mirna Mahrous Habib, 27, who received four months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and Karin Treister, 27, who was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,000, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations New York’s El Dorado Task Force, the New York City Police Department, and the Irvine (California) Police Department, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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