33 Counterfeit Credit Cards, 3 Arrests

SARASOTA, FL — A tip from Walmart security put Sarasota County deputies hot on the trail of three Tampa residents believed to be using counterfeit credit cards to make purchases at the Cattlemen Road store Tuesday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Walmart asset protection noticed the three produced a number of credit cards to pay for miscellaneous purchases and gift cards. Suspecting something was amiss, store managers reported their suspicions to authorities, an email from the agency said.

Deputies caught up with the suspects in their vehicle and pulled them over around 6:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. When deputies explained why they were pulled over, Maronte Gilbert, 22, Carlos Goodman, 22, and Skyler Waits, 23, agreed to a search, the email said.

That search turned up 33 credit cards “that, when swiped by detectives, included track data on the magnetic strip that was different from the numbers embossed on the cards.” Detectives also found 15 gift cards and about $9,000 cash in the trio’s possession, the email said.

Gilbert, Goodman and Waits now face one count each of trafficking in counterfeit credit cards. Waits was also charged with fraudulent use of personal identification.

“Her extensive history includes arrests from across the country for theft, fraud and forgery,” a media release from the sheriff’s office said.

The investigation into all three remains quite active with additional charges pending.

Booking photos of Maronte Gilbert, Carlos Goodman and Skyler Waits courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office

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