Financial Crime World

Two Dominican Nationals Sentenced for Financial Fraud Scheme Involving Over 18,000 Stolen Identities and $1.3 Million in Bank Fraud

Arrest and Discovery

  • Two Dominican nationals, Juan Jose Rodriguez-Castro (37) and Wilbred Armando Reyes-Castro (27), were sentenced in the US District Court in Providence for fraud-related charges.
  • Rodriguez-Castro received a sentence of 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,281,376 in restitution.
  • Reyes-Castro received a term of 24 months’ incarceration for aggravated identity theft.

Note: These sentences are a result of a significant crackdown on financial fraud.

The Arrest

  • The arrests were made on June 6, 2018, in response to a reported armed home invasion at a residence in Pawtucket.
  • Three individuals were detained at the scene with incriminating equipment.
  • Inside, officers found Rodriguez-Castro and Reyes-Castro, as well as a laptop computer, color printers, a laminating machine, and a home-made ATM-style card reader.

The Discovery

  • A further search of the residence revealed:
    • Seven laptops containing over 18,000 stolen credit card numbers.
    • Equipment used to steal card information at gas pumps.
    • A mobile card reader.
    • The inside of an ATM.
    • A photo ID card printer.
    • Numerous flip phones.
    • Laminating machines.
    • Color printers.
    • Flash drives.
    • Other tools to create fraudulent id documents and access devices.
  • Rodriguez-Castro’s fingerprints were also discovered on credit card skimming machines in multiple states outside Rhode Island.

Pleas and Prosecution

  • Rodriguez-Castro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and unlawful possession of access devices on January 20, 2020.
  • Reyes-Castro confessed to one count of aggravated identity theft on December 9, 2019.

Joint Announcement

  • United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves, and Craig A. Marech, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Office of the US Secret Service, jointly announced the sentences.
  • Assistant United States Attorney Lee H. Vilker prosecuted the cases.

Multi-agency Investigation

  • The multi-agency investigation was conducted by the Pawtucket Police Department and the US Secret Service, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.