Ft. Lauderdale Man Pleads Guilty In Gift Card Scheme
Friday, October 25, 2024, 6:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebtook Independent News,
WHEELING, W.VA.- On Thursday, October 23, 2024, Yasmany Roque Cruz appeared in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone to a charge of Access Device Fraud in connection with a gift card draining scheme.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas and charging documents filed with the court, during a motor vehicle traffic stop on a vehicle Cruz was driving, Sheriff’s Officers of the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office conducted a court-authorized search of Cruz’s vehicle after Cruz displayed suspicious activity. During the search, Sheriff’s Officers discovered 748 Gift Cards.
Investigation Uncovers Large-Scale Theft Scheme
During a subsequent investigation, Investigators determined that Cruz possessed the cards in relation to a gift card-draining scam. As part of the scheme, Cruz would alter and manipulate the gift cards so that once the cards were purchased by others and funds were added to them, Cruz would be able to drain the funds from the unexpecting card holders and transfer the funds into an account he controlled. Further investigation uncovered a theft of over $300,000.
As part of his guilty plea and during Cruz’s allocution, he admitted that he intended to cause a loss of around $374,000. Judge Mazzone accepted Cruz’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for a date to be determined by the court.
When sentenced, Cruz faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison and at least three years of supervised release. A U.S. District Judge will determine the actual term based on the seriousness of the offense, the total loss caused by the theft, and Cruz’s prior criminal history, if any.
The case was investigated by the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Ohio County Attorney’s Office.
