JACKSONVILLE, FL – Two South Florida men are trading sunshine for steel bars after a federal judge handed down sentences for a brazen scheme involving stolen identities and re-encoded debit cards. Wilbert Theodore, 33, of Miami, received four years and nine months in federal prison, while his accomplice, Ralph August Lohier, 30, also of Miami, will spend three years and six months behind bars. Both were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The pair, operating in 2016, weren’t just skimming a few bucks. Court documents reveal a calculated effort to obtain debit cards and reprogram them with legitimate account numbers belonging to unsuspecting victims. Lohier went a step further, having fraudulent cards embossed with his own name. A significant portion of the illicit cards bore the name “C.S.”, a phantom identity used to further conceal their activities. Theodore then bolstered the deception by obtaining a counterfeit Florida driver’s license in the name of “C.S.”, complete with his own photograph.
The scheme took them on the road, hitting locations in Flagler and Orange Counties. They weren’t shy about their spending, using the stolen funds to purchase merchandise, load additional money onto reloadable debit cards, and funnel cash through Western Union transfers – both sending and receiving money to further obscure the source and destination of the ill-gotten gains. The operation was meticulous, designed to evade detection and maximize profit.
Their run came to an abrupt end on March 8, 2016, when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled Lohier’s vehicle over on I-95 in Flagler County. Theodore was a passenger in the car. The trooper quickly discovered the counterfeit “C.S.” driver’s license, bearing Theodore’s picture. But the real evidence was yet to come. While being questioned, both men made a desperate attempt to hide a large stash of re-encoded, reloadable debit cards tucked away in the rear of the vehicle.
A thorough search of the car unearthed an even larger quantity of the fraudulent cards, bearing both Lohier’s and “C.S.”’s names. Authorities also found computer media and a credit card re-encoder – the very tool used to commit the crimes. The investigation ultimately revealed that Lohier and Theodore possessed a total of 86 re-encoded cards, representing a significant financial impact on numerous victims. The court ordered both men to pay restitution and forfeit the seized equipment.
The case was a joint effort between the Florida Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein successfully prosecuted the case, bringing these two criminals to justice. This conviction serves as a warning: identity theft and wire fraud are serious federal offenses with severe consequences, and the Secret Service will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit these crimes.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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