Three Illegal Immigrants Arrested in Texas in $14M Multistate Gift Card Fraud Scheme
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Three illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe were arrested in Texas for their alleged involvement in a $14 million gift card fraud scheme across several states.
Kristians Petroviskis, Romunds Cubrevics and Nurmunds Ulevicus were arrested by the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC). Fox Austin reported.
The men, all Latvian citizens, told investigators they had been stealing gift cards from about 10 stores every day, seven days a week, since May, the news outlet reported.
They would then carefully remove the packaging.
MINNESOTA’S SOMALIA FRAUD SCANDAL REVEALS THE HIDDEN COST OF IMMIGRATION
Illegal immigrants Romunds Cubrevics, Kristians Petroviskis and Nurmunds Ulevicus allegedly ran a $14 million gift card fraud scheme in Texas that hit multiple stores each day. (FKTBC)
“The card was removed and then the material covering the numbers on the back to transfer anything or activate the card was removed so they could see it,” FCIC Director Adam Colby said. he said. “The numbers on the card are then programmed into another program that criminals use, which will now track that card.”
Colby said the three suspects were in the United States illegally.
After the numbers on the cards were programmed into each other, the cards were reassembled to look new, unscratched, and placed back on store shelves for someone to purchase.
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“Once it is activated and money is put on that card, the criminals are now aware of it, but now they have the ability to transfer the money from that card to another card and then convert it into cash or use it to purchase high-end items,” Colby said.
Authorities claimed that at the time of their arrest, authorities found more than 400 gift cards on them. The trio targeted stores in several cities, including Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
They are charged with first-degree possession of counterfeit gift cards. Fox News Digital contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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The arrest comes at a time when illegal immigrants and fraud related to immigrant communities are under the spotlight. Federal authorities in Minneapolis launched a sweeping investigation Monday into child daycare fraud.
