U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Ricardo Martinez (34, Tampa) to five years and ten months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the companies defrauded by his scheme. Martinez pleaded guilty on July 29, 2014.
According to court documents, Martinez, along with others, obtained stolen credit card numbers that were then used to create counterfeit or cloned credit cards. The true owners of the credit card accounts remained in possession of the real credit cards, so they were not known to be stolen or reported as stolen.
Martinez and others made numerous purchases, including gift cards, at area Wal-Mart locations. He also used the cloned credit cards to obtain cash advances from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Clearwater Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Seminole Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
SOURCE: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida