A brazen gift card scam has been busted in Glen Carbon, Illinois, with a Chilean national facing federal charges for using a stolen credit card to purchase $2,684.24 in gift cards at the Sam’s Club.
Mayorie Fernandez-Ormeno, 36, also known as Guadalupe Maldanado Salinas, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, attempted access device fraud and illegal entry after deportation and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
“Individuals who enter the U.S. illegally and steal from our communities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents, Fernandez-Ormeno is accused of stealing a credit card out of another woman’s purse while she shopped at the Schnucks in Edwardsville. She then used the stolen credit card to purchase $2,684.24 in gift cards at the Sam’s Club in Glen Carbon on Feb. 18, 2024.
Fernandez-Ormeno is also accused of using the same stolen credit card to attempt to make a $2,477.76 purchase at the same Sam’s Club.
She was previously deported from the U.S. on Oct. 2, 2023, and she is facing a charge for reentering the country unlawfully. She was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia.
A co-conspirator is also facing charges. If convicted, Fernandez-Ormeno could face up to 10 years in prison for attempted access device fraud, five years for conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and up to two years for illegal reentry after deportation. She will also face a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
The investigation is being led by the Edwardsville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Denae Sullivan, Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Anchorage… · Illinois
- Two Foreign Nationals, ID Theft Scheme, Los Angeles CA, 2023 · Florida
- Yerfri Castillo, ID Theft Tax Scam, NY, 2023 · Illinois
- Letitia James Demands ICE Identity Disclosure, New York, 2023 · New Mexico
- Terry L. Gantt, ID Theft and Wire Fraud, Cedar Rapids IA, 2012 · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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