PORTLAND — A pair of Florida men pleaded guilty in federal court this week to using stolen credit card information to make purchases across southern Maine.
Jose Castillo Febles, 30, of Doral and Juan Carlos Febles, 52, of Miami pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The two are unrelated, according to officials.
According to court records, between November 2015 and June 2016, the men and others used stolen credit and debit card numbers to purchase merchandise.
In late May 2016, the pair, along with a group of other suspects, traveled to Maine, according to court records. Investigators said May 29, 2016, that Jose Castillo Febles purchased over $500 worth of merchandise at a Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number belonging to a person from Auburn.
On June 15, 2016, after co-conspirator Yaisder Herrera Gargallo purchased merchandise at another Portland Walgreens using a stolen card number, store personnel notified the police and provided a license plate number, according to court records.
On June 16, 2016, Juan Carlos Febles purchased over $700 worth of merchandise at an Augusta Home Depot using a stolen card number belonging to a victim from Vassalboro.
On June 18, 2016, court officials said, a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped the vehicle in which the defendants and Herrera Gargallo were traveling. The stop led to their arrests and the discovery of merchandise, numerous fraudulent credit cards, and a laptop computer. The laptop was later found to contain credit card numbers and related data.
Both men face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. Both men also face a mandatory sentence of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the conspiracy charge.
They will be sentenced after the completion of investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office.
Herrera Gargallo pleaded guilty to the same charges on June 19 and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Portland Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
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