Credit Card Fraud Ring Involved Westchester Post Offices

A credit card fraud ring, involving some Westchester post offices, has been broken up.

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday that charges have been brought against six men “stemming from their conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and their commission of credit card fraud,” according to a release at the U.S. Department of Justice website.

Four men have been arrested: Eric Robinson, Eldridge Mitchell, Jhaymes Bethel Brown Jr. and Kordell Nesbitt.

Bharara said two men remain at large: Craig Smith and Akil Christopher.

“As alleged, these six men conspired to use fradulent credit cards, encoded with the stolen bank account information of victims, to purchase scores of American Express, Visa and MasterCards,” Bharara said.

“Together with our partners at the [U.S. Postal Inspection Service], we have put this alleged criminal ring out of business,” he said.

According to the unsealed complaint, the six defendants went to various post offices from May 2015 through August 2015 and purchased the gift cards, allegedly several $500 gift cards at a time.

The gift cards were allegedly purchased using fraudulent credit cards.

In four months, the six men defrauded others, or attempted to defraud others, out of more than $150,000.

In Westchester County, it is alleged the men bought the gift cards at post offices in Ardsley, Hartsdale and Scarsdale, according to an article at lohud.com.

Bharara said each of the defendants is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Bharara said the investigation is ongoing:

If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact the Victim/Witness Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.

To see the complete release from the U.S. Department of Justice, go here.

To read the entire lohud.com article, click here.