BOSTON - A Brazilian national was arrested yesterday and charged in federal court in Boston with making unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs at three banks in Lynn using “cloned" debit cards.
Helisson Benazi de Souza, 37, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, was charged with one count of access device fraud. U.S District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal ordered de Souza detained following an initial appearance in federal court.
According to court documents, between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017, de Souza withdrew over $6,000 from ATMs at three banks in Lynn from accounts that did not belong to him. Law enforcement immediately apprehended de Souza, arrested him, and impounded his rental car. Inside the car police found thousands of dollars in cash, all in $20 bills. They also found over 200 gift cards with small stickers on them. Using a magnetic strip reader, federal agents read the magnetic strip data on the gift cards, which revealed that 15 of the cards matched debit cards associated with valid JPMorgan Chase bank accounts from which unauthorized withdrawals had been made at the three Lynn banks between approximately noon and 1:30 pm on May 25, 2017. When questioned, de Souza admitted to using the cards to withdraw money from ATMs and that the stickers on the cards contained the PINS of the individual cardholders.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Lynn Police Chief Michael A. Mageary made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
