GREENEVILLE, TN – Odemnis Prats Leiva, 31, of Pompano Beach, Florida, is headed to federal prison for 54 months after pleading guilty to a sophisticated scheme to defraud countless East Tennessee residents. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer handed down the sentence on July 9, 2018, along with a three-year supervised release following his incarceration and an order to pay $21,114.84 in restitution.
Leiva, along with his accomplice Amaurys Mendez Campanon, operated a credit card skimming operation targeting gas pumps at retail stations across East Tennessee between August 7 and August 10, 2017. The pair surreptitiously installed skimming devices that pilfered credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers. The stolen data wasn’t used for direct purchases; instead, it was used to clone gift cards.
The operation involved a two-step process of theft. Leiva and Campanon would shoplift blank gift cards from various retail stores. Then, using the stolen credit card data, they’d re-encode those cards, effectively turning them into usable, albeit fraudulently obtained, payment methods. These re-encoded cards were then used to purchase *more* gift cards and other consumer goods throughout the region, laundering the stolen funds and compounding the fraud.
Law enforcement caught up with the duo on August 10, 2017, in Rogersville, Tennessee. A search revealed Leiva was carrying nine unlawfully re-encoded skimming devices, a hefty $7,020.25 in cash, and a stash of fraudulently obtained gift cards – the fruits of their criminal labor. Campanon was arrested alongside Leiva and has already entered a guilty plea, awaiting his own sentencing.
The case was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Secret Service, the Johnson City Police Department, and the Rogersville Police Department. The Secret Service, despite often associated with protecting dignitaries, maintains a significant investigative arm dedicated to financial crimes like this, recognizing the national security implications of widespread fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney TJ Harker prosecuted the case.
This isn’t just about stolen money; it’s about the ripple effect of identity theft and the vulnerability of everyday transactions. While Leiva will spend the next four and a half years behind bars, the victims of this scheme will likely be dealing with the fallout for months, if not years, to come. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee hopes this sentence serves as a deterrent to others considering similar schemes.
Related Federal Cases
- Odemnis Prats Leiva, Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, Tennessee 2018 · Tennessee
- Leslie Bethea, PPP Fraud & Violations, Greeneville TN, 2023 · Tennessee
- Stanley P. Phillips Sentenced to Nine Years for Wire Fraud, Dothan … · Tennessee
- Nikesh A. Patel, Sham Loan Fraud, FL 2024 · Tennessee
- Charlton Peter, Health Care Fraud, TN 2024 · Tennessee
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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