Lee Gets 75 Months for Card Fraud Repeat Offense

GREENBELT, MD – Travis Lee, 31, of La Plata, Maryland, is headed back to prison after receiving a 75-month sentence today for a sophisticated credit card fraud scheme, announced U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte. The sentence includes three years of supervised release following the prison term. This isn’t Lee’s first rodeo; he was already on supervised release for a previous card fraud conviction when he re-offended.

The case, spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office and the Montgomery County Police Department, reveals Lee traveled with accomplice Kenneth Clifton Williamson, 21, of Washington, D.C., to the Chevy Chase, Maryland area in August 2015. There, Lee allegedly schooled Williamson in the art of making fraudulent purchases using illegally manufactured debit, credit, and gift cards. Lee sourced stolen credit and debit information from shadowy online “carding” forums and then reprogrammed blank cards with the purloined data, effectively granting access to victims’ bank accounts.

The pair hit two high-end department stores – one in Chevy Chase, the other in Washington D.C. – racking up approximately $1,155 in merchandise at each location using the fraudulent cards. Law enforcement caught up with Lee a few months later, uncovering a stash of at least 185 gift cards in his possession. A search of the vehicle they used during the shopping spree yielded even more damning evidence: gift cards, sales receipts, stolen merchandise, a laptop, a portable Wi-Fi device, and the tools of the trade – an embosser and electronic encoder used to create the counterfeit cards.

Another traffic stop in October 2015 turned up another 150 credit and gift cards, along with the card-making equipment, including a magnetic strip reader/writer. The evidence painted a clear picture of a deliberate and ongoing operation. Lee’s criminal history further complicated matters. He was initially sentenced to five months in prison in 2010, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of counterfeit access devices in the Northern District of West Virginia. That supervised release was revoked in 2014, adding another 14 months in prison and 22 months of supervision – a term he was actively violating when committing these latest offenses.

Williamson, Lee’s partner in crime, previously pleaded guilty and received a comparatively lenient four-month prison sentence. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the collaborative work of the Secret Service and Montgomery County Police, specifically citing the Electronic Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Sykes and Thomas P. Windom were responsible for the prosecution of the case. This case serves as a harsh reminder that repeat offenders will face increasingly severe consequences for exploiting financial systems.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as they become available. This sentence sends a clear message: tampering with financial security carries a heavy price.

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