Crime & Safety
Gang Members Swept Up In 240-Court Indictment Head To Court
Some of the crimes were in Walnut Creek, with local police taking part in the probe that brought them down.
WALNUT CREEK, CA — Thirty-two alleged members of two Contra Costa County street gangs will go to trial in Sacramento County following a 240-count indictment connected to a hacking scheme that targeted credit card terminals at businesses, according to a spokesperson for state Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
The gangs -- primarily based in Antioch, Pittsburg and Bay Point -- were targeted as a result of a two-year investigation into burglaries and credit card schemes in 13 counties.
The suspects allegedly broke into medical and dental offices and furniture stores, hacked credit card terminals and processed payment returns.
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Instead of the money going to the patient who made the payment, however, the refund was transferred to debit cards controlled by the suspects, according to investigators.
The charges listed in the indictment include conspiracy to commit grand theft, grand theft, burglary, identity theft, hacking, computer access and fraud. Investigators allegedly seized 40 stolen credit card terminals as well as laptops and personal files with social security information or bank information.
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"It takes the collaborative effort of multiple law enforcement agencies to take down criminal gangs," Becerra said. The investigation included police officers from Walnut Creek, Antioch, Vacaville, Sacramento, Concord, San Rafael, Pittsburg and Napa.
The defendants are scheduled to appear in Sacramento County Superior Court on Thursday.
— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock
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