5 Arrested In Scheme To Steal Credit Card Information At Gas Pump

LAKELAND, FL – With the arrest of five people this week, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his office has only made a dent in the organized racketeering that's occurring at the gas pump.

Working with Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Judd said his office wrapped up a four-month investigation into a sophisticated organized crime syndicate involving fuel pump skimmers, counterfeit credit cards and the theft of gasoline and diesel fuel.

Skimming devices allow thieves to electronically copy the credit cards of customers who pay for gas at the pump. That stolen credit card information is then transferred to counterfeit credit cards used to purchase large amounts of gas and diesel fuel, which is subsequently sold to unscrupulous vendors in Hillsborough and Polk counties at a discounted prices.

Arrested Tuesday, March 20, were 26-year-old Yosel Menendez-Corrales, 34-year-old Victor Alvarez Cano, 49-year-old Diosdado Gonzalez Morejon, 41-year-old Marie Carmen Serrano Abril and 41-year-old Frank Perez. Detectives are still trying to locate 55-year old Carlos Gonzalez, who may be in Haines City or Miami areas.

Mendez-Corrales, Morejon and Perez are charged with racketeering. They have no prior criminal history.

Cano is also charged with racketeering. He has two felony convictions for forgery and fraud. He was also arrested in Alachua County in 2015 for being in possession of modified gift cards, eight skimming devices and several gas pump keys.

Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. He has eight felony convictions ranging from drug trafficking to cock fighting.

Abril is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. She has two felony convictions for drug trafficking.

Judd said the investigation began on Dec. 11 after witnesses spotted Corrales and Cano reportedly tinkering with a fuel pump’s keypad at the Sunoco gas station in Polk City.

From there, detectives conducted surveillance, collected evidence and served search warrants on a house at 3604 Cork Road in Plant City, owned by a company called Investment ORM Three Brothers Corp. of Miami, and a house at 5414 Greenfield Acres, Lakeland. At those houses, detectives confiscated a laptop computer, fuel gauges, nozzles and gift cards.

Putnam said the crime isn’t confined to Polk County.

In 2017, his department identified 700 gas pumps rigged with skimmers, a major increase from 169 in 2015 and 220 in 2016.

Unfortunately, Putnam said the technology used by criminals has evolved faster than law enforcement’s ability to detect it.

“When they first began to use skimmers, they used to have to return to the scene of the crime and download the information directly from the devices,” he said. “Now they don’t even have to open the cabinet of the pump to retrieve the information. They’re using Bluetooth to download your information in real time when you swipe your card.”

During Polk County’s investigation, detectives identified 30 gas pumps that has been modified with skimmers along a section of the Interstate 4 corridor stretching from Plant City to Lakeland, Judd said.

Putnam said the crime has cost Florida residents and visitors millions of dollars. But that’s changing, he said. The state has now elevated the crime to racketeering, a first-degree felony that carries a 30-year prison sentence.

“We’ve modified the statutes to make it easier for detectives to build cases and for prosecutors to pursue cases,” he said. “Working with law enforcement, we have made multiple changes every year to increase penalties and sentences.”

Additionally, he said, gas stations are now required to put security devices on all gas pumps.

"Sheriff Judd and the Polk County Sheriff's Office are proof that Florida law enforcement will pursue with every available resource and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who prey on hard-working Floridians and visitors,” Putnam said. “I'm proud that our Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement could assist in dismantling this organized fuel theft ring.”

Judd said the investigation won’t end with these arrests.

These people are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “This is a multimillion-dollar business across Florida and the United States.”

In addition to instituting tougher penalties, Putnam said his office is trying to educate consumers about the crime so they can protect themselves.

His advice:

• Examine the gas pump for signs of tampering before you pump. Make sure the cabinet isn’t ajar and the security tape is intact. If it doesn’t look right, don’t swipe your card.
• Pay cash for fuel whenever possible. If you have to use credit, use a traditional credit card rather than a debit card, which requires a pin number that thieves can steal.
• Use gas pumps located within a clear line of sight to the clerk.
• Closely examine your credit card statements and make sure all of the charges are legitimate.
• Sign up for a credit card service that sends a text to your cell phone each time your card is used.

.Images via Polk County Sheriff's Office