DALLAS - Ivania Ortiz, also known as “Ivania Reyes" and “Lisset Oz," 32, originally from Nicaragua, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to 33 months in federal prison for her role in a conspiracy involving fraudulent purchases in North Texas using counterfeit bank cards, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.
Ortiz pleaded guilty in March 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. She has been in custody since the time of her arrest in July 2016. Judge Fitzwater also ordered Ortiz to pay $408,596.46 in restitution, joint and severally with her codefendants.
A federal grand jury returned a 20-count indictment in August 2016 charging Ortiz along with Elvis Johanny Ortiz Reyes, Jesus Aldana Gutierrez, Roberto Carlos Puebla Saavedra, Yaser Moreno, also known as “Adrian Perez," Yokasta Garcia, also known as “Kathy Garcia," and Norge Mayea, for their roles in the scheme.
According to documents filed in the case, from at least August 2014 through July 2016, Ortiz and others obtained lists of credit and debit card numbers belonging to other individuals online. Ortiz and her coconspirators used the card information to create counterfeit bank cards using devices to encode the cards with the fraudulently obtained account information. The defendants went to various retail stores and purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards with the counterfeit cards. The defendants then took those purchased prepaid gift cards and shopping cards to other stores and purchased items, including other gift cards, to further launder the illegally obtained money.
The scheme was discovered after an investigator from JPMorgan Chase observed a large volume of fraudulent transactions being made with unauthorized JPMorgan Chase debit card numbers at Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. JPMorgan Chase’s investigator worked with Walmart investigators to collect surveillance footage and conduct surveillance of the defendants engaging in the fraudulent transactions. As a part of the judgment, Ortiz was ordered to pay over $360,000 to JPMorgan Chase.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Plano Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie L. Hoxie and Shane Read prosecuted.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
