A federal judge in southern Illinois has sentenced three men for their roles in a scheme involving counterfeit credit and debit cards used to purchase gasoline. Dee E. Day, 31, from Belleville, received a sentence of 30 months in prison and was ordered to pay $14,295 in restitution. Marquise Q. Golliday, 29, from Collinsville, and Montuelle F. Wright, 33, from East St. Louis, were each previously sentenced to 28 months.
The three men pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
"Financial exploitation and identity theft crimes are serious offenses with lasting effects on victims," stated U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. She commended law enforcement for their quick action in dismantling the criminal operation.
Court documents revealed that the conspirators used counterfeit cards with altered electronic data on the magnetic strip containing victims' names and card numbers.
"Financial crimes perpetrated on law-abiding citizens often have lasting effects on unknowing victims," said Special Agent in Charge Dai Tran of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service. "I’m proud of our agency’s work on this case and I’m thankful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pursuing it."
The fraudulent activities involved over 130 transactions affecting 34 victims with losses exceeding $14,000. The majority occurred at a gas station in Sauget between November 1-5, 2019; similar incidents were reported at other locations in Illinois and Missouri.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service with Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed prosecuting the case.