Ten Defendants Used Fraudulent Debit Cards to Make Purchases in Treasure Valley
BOISE - Rakeen Anderson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, Kyandre Banks, 34, of Lilburn, Georgia, Terrance Barimah, 26, of Floranceville, Georgia, Clarence Collins, 34, of Douglasville, Georgia, Jean Estinville, 26, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Rashine Kale, 38, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Charles Moore, 25, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Jonathan Penn, 20, of Suwanee, Georgia, Brian Treadwell, 25, of Buford, Georgia, and Mikki Williams, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges relating to a wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Banks, Collins, Estinville, Kale, Moore, Penn, Treadwell, and Williams are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Anderson is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Barimah is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal possession of device-making equipment.
The Boise Police Department arrested each of the defendants on October 6, 2014, on charges of burglary and possession of fraudulent financial transaction cards. Those charges were dismissed as to each of the defendants in light on the federal charges. An arraignment dates has not been set.
The indictment charges the defendants with devising a scheme to defraud retail stores in Idaho by materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, by fraudulently using pre-paid debit cards encoded with unauthorized access device numbers belonging to unknowing third party victims to purchase pre-paid debit and gift cards from retail stores. The indictment alleges that the defendants traveled to Idaho for the purpose of executing their scheme, rented automobiles and hotel rooms, and traveled to numerous retail stores in the Boise area on October 5and 6, 2014. The indictment alleges that the merchandise purchases resulted in an interstate wire transmission, and that the unauthorized access device numbers belonged to real individuals.
“These charges send the clear message that law enforcement in Idaho will work, quickly, cooperatively and aggressively to disrupt traveling fraudulent debit and credit card scams," said Olson. “Idaho retailers are not open game, and Idahoans will not tolerate this conduct. I commend the outstanding investigative work of the Boise Police Department and the United States Secret Service."
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two years in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony. Illegal possession of device-making equipment is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
