A Chilean national has been charged with multiple federal offenses following an alleged gift card fraud and identity theft scheme in Glen Carbon, Illinois. Maryorie Fernandez-Ormeno, also known as Guadalupe Maldanado Salinas, faces charges including conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud, attempted access device fraud, illegal entry after deportation, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft commented on the case stating: “Individuals who enter the U.S. illegally and steal from our communities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents allege that Fernandez-Ormeno stole a credit card from another woman's purse at a Schnucks store in Edwardsville. She is accused of using this stolen credit card to purchase $2,684.24 worth of gift cards at a Sam’s Club in Glen Carbon on February 18, 2024. Additionally, she allegedly attempted another transaction totaling $2,477.76 at the same location.
Fernandez-Ormeno had previously been deported from the United States on October 2, 2023. She was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia for reentering the country unlawfully.
The investigation involves both local and federal agencies including the Edwardsville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is leading the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment serves as a formal charge against a defendant who remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, Fernandez-Ormeno could face up to ten years' imprisonment for access device fraud charges alone; aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence; conspiracy can lead to five years’ imprisonment; and illegal reentry after deportation may result in up to two years’ imprisonment.