A Peruvian national residing in New Jersey has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a credit card and identity theft scheme. According to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Erick Christian Luna de la Cruz, 34, entered his plea in New Haven on charges related to conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Court documents and statements revealed that the investigation began in 2022 when the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and other states started looking into a series of distraction thefts targeting wallets from victims, primarily elderly women, at retail locations such as Trader Joe’s and TJ Maxx stores. The authorities found that Luna de la Cruz and others traveled across the United States stealing wallets from unsuspecting shoppers. They then used stolen credit and debit cards to purchase electronic devices and other goods at different stores. The purchased items were shipped along their route to a co-conspirator’s address in New Jersey.
Luna de la Cruz faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for conspiracy to commit access device fraud. He was arrested on June 28, 2024, and is currently released on a $100,000 bond with electronic monitoring while awaiting sentencing scheduled for April 22.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with several police departments including those in Manchester (Connecticut), Orange (Connecticut), Fairfax County (Virginia), Spartanburg County (South Carolina), Spartanburg (South Carolina), Warwick (Rhode Island), Cary (North Carolina), and Metropolitan Nashville (Tennessee). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and Michael S. McGarry are prosecuting the case.
"This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester (Conn.) Police Department, with the assistance of the Orange (Conn.) Police Department, the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department, the Spartanburg County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office, the Spartanburg Police Department, the Warwick (R.I.) Police Department, the Cary (N.C.) Police Department, and the Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and Michael S. McGarry." according to information provided by officials.
