2 Arrested in Large Scale Credit Card Cloning Operation in Arlington: Police

ARLINGTON, VA — Police have arrested two people in connection with a large-scale credit card cloning operation in Arlington, according to a report from the Arlington County Police Department.

Police have arrested Adiam Berhane and Clark Donat, both 44 and from Arlington, on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit credit card fraud after a joint investigation by local, state and federal police, the report states.

Police say that in November 2015, a victim who had no ties to Arlington discovered that someone had been using his credit card in Arlington. Police investigated and identified Berhane.

The investigation further found that Berhane's coffee shop, Caffe Aficionado at 1919 N. Lynn Street, had redeemed hundreds of thousands of dollars in pre-payable gift cards, apparently through cloned credit cards, the report states.

The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are pending. Police asked anyone who suspects they may be a victim to contact the Arlington County Financial Crimes Unit by email at FinancialCrimes@arlingtonva.us. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Images via ACPD