Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Sirrico Lewis (42, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to access device fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a 3-year term of supervised release, following his incarceration. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Lewis and others engaged in a scheme to defraud several Central Florida area Sam’s Clubs and Wal-Mart stores through the fraudulent acquisition and use of duplicate Sam’s Club credit cards. To facilitate the scheme, a conspirator would manufacture counterfeit identification documents of existing Sam’s Club customers. Lewis and others obtained those counterfeit documents, took them to various Sam’s Clubs, and used them to obtain duplicate credit cards on existing accounts.
They then used those credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at area Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart stores, or turned the cards over to another conspirator who either made fraudulent purchases or got another person to do so. The fraudulently purchased items would then be sold, with the proceeds from those sales being divided amongst the conspirators. The total amount of actual loss suffered by the victims of this scheme is over $2 million. Of that amount, Lewis was involved in over $750,000 worth of fraudulent transactions.
Lewis is the second individual to plead guilty in this case. On Oct. 30, 2012, Reginald Holley (36, Winter Garden) pleaded guilty to access device fraud. On Jan. 14, 2013, he was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. A third co-conspirator, Brenda Shoukry, (63, of Orlando) has been charged with the same offense, by criminal complaint. A criminal complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the United States Secret Service. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
