A Michigan resident has admitted guilt in federal court for his involvement in a wire fraud conspiracy that targeted a Rhode Island-based retailer, resulting in losses of about $140,000. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the plea on Thursday.
According to court documents, Mattek Scott, 27, of Flint, Michigan, and co-conspirators including Ariana Asberry, 26, also of Flint, participated in the scheme from at least June 2022 until April 3, 2024. The group fraudulently acquired money, pre-paid gift cards, and merchandise from more than 35 outlets operated by the retailer across at least 11 states, including Rhode Island.
The conspirators used fraudulent debit or credit cards to make purchases. When these payment cards were declined at checkout, they instructed cashiers to finalize the sale by pressing the “Cash tendered” button even though no cash was provided. This allowed them to load pre-paid gift cards with amounts between $199 and $500.
Scott and others then used these fraudulently loaded gift cards to obtain new pre-paid cards at different retail locations. The funds were spent on various expenses such as hotel stays, restaurant meals, groceries, car repairs, utilities, gas, and convenience store items.
The total loss suffered by the retailer was approximately $140,000.
Scott is scheduled for sentencing on November 20, 2025. A federal district judge will determine his sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
Co-conspirator Ariana Asberry pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024. She received a sentence of time served plus three years of federal supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution totaling $138,633.01.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Julianne Klein are prosecuting the case. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
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