Seven Arrested In Credit Card Fraud Raids
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Undercover detectives arrested seven people in connection with a credit card fraud ring during two overnight raids.
A husband and wife were taken into custody at a home on SW 78th Terrace and 162nd Place in southwest Miami-Dade.
Detectives say they found 65 stolen credit cards, $5,000 dollars in cash and a gun.
"We have over 60 to 65 counterfeit credit cards here, those are 60 to 65 victims that their identity was stolen or their credit card information was stolen and it's being used by these individuals to go out and make purchases," said Detective Marcos Rodriguez.
Earlier in the night, police arrested five other people at a home in Westchester at 1805 SW 107 Avenue.
During surveillance on the home, detectives watched as Michel Tenorio, 35, dropped off what appeared to be merchandise.
When they went to question Tenorio they reportedly found he had a number counterfeit credit cards and identification.
Their investigation revealed Tenorio was dropping off merchandise to 33-year old Yoandy Alfonso and 50-year old Sergio Molina. When Aldo Blanco, 33, and Larry Milanes-Garcia, 35, showed up at the home, they were detained, questioned, and subsequently arrested by investigators.
During a search of the home, police found additional counterfeit credit cards, merchandise, and approximately $50,000 in cash.
Police believe they were using the stolen cards to buy merchandise and re-sell it at a fraction of the cost.
"Items that were purchased with stolen credit card numbers, counterfeit credit cards, and they sell it for 60 percent of what the item is actually worth," said Rodriguez.
Neighbors of those arrested in Westchester said they would they would see different people going in and out of the home but they never suspected something illegal was going on.
"A lot of cars come here and stop here and we don't know what they are doing there, some kind of family business, I don't know," said Raja Suram.
"It just goes to show you, you never knows who lives next door to you," said Adolfo Ortiz.
Detectives believe the group was making about $20 to $30-thousand dollars a week.
