JACKSON, MS – Sean Matthew Langston, Jr., 33, of Columbus, Ohio, has confessed to possessing the tools of a sophisticated credit card skimming operation uncovered in the Jackson metropolitan area. The guilty plea, entered last week, reveals a scheme that saw Langston and his accomplice flooding local retail stores with fraudulently obtained gift cards.
The bust came on April 28, 2024, when Langston and John Carleton Johnson, Jr. were pulled over in Rankin County. A search of their vehicle turned up a treasure trove for any card-skimming operation: 322 gift cards, seventeen reencoded instruments loaded with stolen bank card data, and two magnetic stripe encoding devices – the very tools used to clone credit and debit card information. Surveillance footage later confirmed Langston and Johnson actively using these cloned cards to purchase gift cards at multiple stores across Jackson.
Langston pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession, production, or trafficking in device-making equipment with intent to defraud. The charge carries a hefty maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date is set for April 14, 2026, where a federal district judge will weigh the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors before handing down the final punishment.
This case began with a February 20, 2025, federal grand jury indictment against both Langston and Johnson. Johnson, moving faster through the legal process, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, and received a two-year federal prison sentence and a $5,000 fine on November 3, 2025. While Johnson’s sentence is served, Langston now faces a potentially much longer stretch behind bars.
The investigation, a joint effort by the U.S. Secret Service, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation through their Cyber Fraud Task Force, demonstrates a coordinated response to increasingly complex financial crimes. Assistance was also provided by the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Flowood Police Department. The Secret Service, often associated with protecting political figures, plays a critical role in combating financial crimes like this one, which directly impacts everyday citizens.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is leading the prosecution of the case. United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch jointly announced Langston’s guilty plea, signaling a continued commitment to cracking down on fraudulent schemes that threaten the financial security of Mississippians and beyond. The investigation remains ongoing to determine the full scope of the operation and any potential additional co-conspirators.
Related Federal Cases
- Lonny L. Bristow, Making Bomb Threats, OH, 2023 · Oregon
- Brady Jackson Sentenced to 15 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors, Tol… · Michigan
- Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Card Encoding Equipment Possession · Ohio
- Gerardo Heriberto Nuñez Nuñez, Elder Fraud Scheme, Boston MA, 2026 · Pennsylvania
- FDIC Approves Erebor Bank Deposit Insurance, No Crime Found, Ohio, … · Virginia
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News