- A group of seven men from Florida is accused of having spent the last decade installing credit card skimming devices around the U.S.
- The group allegedly used the skimmers to steal credit and debit card information.
- Each of the seven men is being charged with RICO conspiracy and money laundering.
Thanks to the internet, you may be aware that thieves are capable of steeling your credit car information with devices that fit snugly over the card readers at places like gas pumps. If you’ve ever wondered who do something like that, the FBI thinks it has an answer.
Federal authorities have indicted seven men on RICO charges and allege that they installed card skimmers at gas pumps across the United States in order to steal credit and debit card data from unwitting drivers.
Read: Texas Man Allegedly Used Instagram To Steal 25+ Vehicles And Sell Them To Cartel Members
The group, which the FBI says was led by Eduardo Rodriguez (a.k.a. Ogbe Bara), 40, of Fort Meyers, Florida, allegedly operated from 2014 to 2024. In that time, they are accused of using the stolen information to make ATM withdrawals, cashback purchases from stores, and to buy gift cards. They are also accused of using “fences” to sell illegally obtained goods.
Six other men have been charged alongside Rodriguez, and they are: 53-year-old Idalberto Rivero (a.k.a. El Monstro), 39-year-old Luis Gustavo Diaz (a.k.a. Ogberdi), 33-year-old Pedro Raul Zequeira Alvarez (a.k.a. Yery Yery), 32-year-old Jorge Enrique Fonseca Vazquez (a.k.a. Ogberoso), 32-year-old Raul Farrao Pons (a.k.a. Ninja), and 26-year-old Anyelo Jesus Muino Ayala (a.k.a. Justin Bieber).
The defendants are all being charged with one count of RICO conspiracy and another count of money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they could each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each charge. Authorities have not stated how much money the group is accused of having taken illegally.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Norfolk, Miami, Tampa, New York, and Albany Field Offices, as well as the U.S. Secret Service, Virginia State Police, and police departments in Virginia and North Carolina.
