Financial Crime World

Title: Dominican Duo Sentenced for Massive Bank Fraud Scheme in Rhode Island: Stolen Data Used to Defraud Banks of $1.3 Million

Arrest and Discovery of Suspects

  • A Dominican national, Juan Jose Rodriguez-Castro (37), and his accomplice, Wilbred Armando Reyes-Castro (27), were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, on March 12, 2020.
  • The pair were first apprehended by Pawtucket Police on June 6, 2018, during an alleged armed home invasion at a Pawtucket residence.
  • Upon entering the apartment, officers discovered Rodriguez-Castro and Reyes-Castro, as well as items connected to credit card fraud.

Seized Items and Stolen Data

  • Among the suspicious items found were:
    • A laptop computer
    • Color printers
    • A laminating machine
    • A home-made ATM-style card reader
    • American Express signature stickers
  • Seven laptops containing credit card information for approximately 18,000 individuals were discovered.
  • Equipment used to steal credit and debit card information from gas pumps, a mobile credit card reader, and the inner workings of an ATM were also seized.
  • Additional equipment confiscated included a photo ID card printer, numerous unmarked cell phones, a laminating machine, color printers, flash drives, credit card readers and scanners, blank checks, identification holograms, and several fraudulent documents.

Evidence and Pleas

  • Fingerprints belonging to Rodriguez-Castro were found on credit card skimming machines in at least two states outside Rhode Island.
  • Rodriguez-Castro pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and possession of unauthorized access devices on January 20, 2020.
  • He was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,281,376 in restitution to defrauded banks.
  • Reyes-Castro pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft on December 9, 2019, and received a 24-month prison term.

Announcement of Sentences

  • The sentences were announced by:
    • United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman
    • Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves
    • Craig A. Marech, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the United States Secret Service
  • The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
  • The investigation was carried out by the Pawtucket Police Department and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.