Credit Card Scam Rocks Iowa, Three Cuban Nationals Convicted
Three Cuban nationals, Pedro Alvarez Rodriguez, Dunieski Santana Moreno, and Liliany de Armas Mena, have been convicted of credit card fraud and identity theft in a federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The trio, who were living in the United States, but hold Cuban citizenship, admitted to using stolen identities and credit card numbers to make unauthorized purchases at Wal-Mart stores across the state.
According to court documents, the suspects used counterfeit cards with account information stolen from at least thirty-five accounts to make purchases at various Wal-Mart locations. The cards were obtained via ‘skimming’ devices designed to obtain victims’ numbers without their authorization or knowledge.
Between January 29 and February 1, 2017, the suspects drove hundreds of miles across Iowa to use the counterfeit cards at various Wal-Mart stores, including those in Mount Pleasant, Altoona, Le Mars, Sioux Center, Spencer, Spirit Lake, Mason City, Waverly, and Cedar Falls.
Pedro Alvarez Rodriguez, 36, of Miami, Florida, was convicted of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud on September 21, 2017. Dunieski Santana Moreno, 26, of Miami, Florida, and Liliany de Armas Mena, 21, of Louisville, Kentucky, were convicted of the same charges on November 1, 2017.
Each of the suspects faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 9.5 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $200 in special assessments, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyndie M. Freeman and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Waverly Police Department. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after presentence reports are prepared.
The suspects remain in the custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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