Ali M. Summers Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois
A Chilean national has been charged with federal offenses for allegedly using a stolen credit card to buy gift cards at Sam’s Club in Glen Carbon, Illinois. The individual, identified as Maryorie Fernandez-Ormeno, also known as Guadalupe Maldanado Salinas, faces multiple charges including conspiracy to commit access device fraud and illegal entry after deportation.
According to court documents, Fernandez-Ormeno is accused of taking a credit card from another woman's purse while she was shopping at Schnucks in Edwardsville. The stolen card was then used to purchase $2,684.24 worth of gift cards at the Glen Carbon Sam’s Club on February 18, 2024. Additionally, there was an attempt to make another purchase amounting to $2,477.76 using the same card at the same location.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft stated: “Individuals who enter the U.S. illegally and steal from our communities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Fernandez-Ormeno had previously been deported from the United States on October 2, 2023, and now faces charges for reentering unlawfully. She was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia.
The investigation involves cooperation between the Edwardsville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is handling the prosecution.
In addition to Fernandez-Ormeno's charges, a co-conspirator is also facing legal proceedings related to this case.
It is important to note that an indictment serves only as a formal charge and does not imply guilt; under U.S. law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, attempted access device fraud and access device fraud carry penalties of up to ten years' imprisonment each. Aggravated identity theft results in a mandatory two-year federal prison sentence, conspiracy can lead to five years' imprisonment, and illegal reentry after deportation could result in up to two years' imprisonment.
