Brazilian Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Credit And Debit Card Fraud Scheme

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The twelfth defendant to plead guilty in a large international counterfeit credit and debit card fraud scheme was sentenced Tuesday to eight years and two months in federal prison for his involvement in the multimillion dollar conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Andre Araujo Rodrigues, aka “Andre Rodriguez,” “Andre Gonzales,” “Andre Menudo,” and “Andre Rodrigues,” 35, of Porto Velho, Brazil, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. He pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices, three counts of Possession Of Access Device-Making Equipment, Production, Use or Trafficking of Counterfeit Access Devices, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. In addition to incarceration, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,288,180, and a criminal forfeiture money judgment of in the amount of $5 million was imposed.

From October 2015 to May 2016, Rodrigues conspired with others to commit credit and debit card fraud by using “skimmers” placed on automatic teller machines, cash-out transaction ticket dispensing terminals, such as Global Cash Advance (GCA) machines, and other means to obtain stolen account information. The group also obtained stolen credit card information through the use of malware and point of sale intrusions. Rodrigues and his co-conspirators set-up credit card forgery “laboratories” in residences and hotel rooms to manufacture counterfeit credit and debit cards. Equipment in the laboratories included counterfeit card production systems, thermal dye printers, foil tipping machines, card embossers, and card scanners and encoders.

Rodrigues and his co-conspirators used the counterfeit credit and debit cards to obtain cash withdrawals from ATMs and GCA machines located in Nevada and elsewhere and also to purchase high-end merchandise including luxury watches, jewelry, and clothing at hotel-casinos and businesses in Las Vegas, Nevada and other cities throughout the United States, including: Del Mar, California; Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana; Nassau County, New York; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The group laundered the fraud proceeds and resold the fraudulently obtained retail items on the black market or online marketplaces.

In addition to Rodrigues, the following co-defendants have also pleaded guilty and either been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing:

• Lucas Coelho Paiva Rego, pleaded guilty to Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device and Aggravated Identity Theft, and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
• Henrique Ortolani De Souza Vila Real pleaded guilty to Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device and Aggravated Identity Theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2019. The parties have stipulated to a 60 month prison sentence for Real. He has also been sentenced to 30 months in prison in an unrelated drug distribution case.
• Vitor Domingues Valentini Dos Reis pleaded guilty to Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
• Pedro Igor Alves Barbosa pleaded guilty to Possession of Access Device-Making Equipment  and Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2019. The parties have stipulated to a 57 month prison sentence for Barbosa.
• Amysterdan Barbosa Da Silva has pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2019. The parties have stipulated to a 50 month prison sentence for Da Silva.
• Leonardo Augusto Oliveira Santos has pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices and Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
• Davi Dias Fernandes pleaded guilty to Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device and was sentenced to 32 months in prison.
• Lorenzo Ramon Sala Moura pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices and Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
• Anderson Clayton Mariano Alcantara pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices,  Use or Trafficking in Unauthorized Access Device, Aggravated Identity Theft, Possession of Access Device-Making Equipment, Production, Use, or Trafficking of Counterfeit Access Device, Possession of Fifteen or More Counterfeit or Unauthorized Access Devices, Count 29 – Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Money Laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2019.
• Bruno Macedo Correia pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2019.
• Francisco Rui De Alencar Mendes Filho pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices, Possession of Access Device-Making Equipment, Production, Use, or Trafficking of Counterfeit Access Device, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2019.
• Two defendants, Fausto Teixeira Martins Neto and Felipe Augusto Vicale Martins, are currently scheduled for a jury trial beginning on August 13, 2019.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is prosecuting the case.

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