A credit card scam gang from New York was arrested on 8th of January 2018 for fraudulent transactions of $3 million

Hamilton Eromosele, 29-years-old, was the alleged leader of the gang, alongside Youssouf “Slim” Traore and Deja “Mo Bandz” Monet Handsford. The U.S. District Court in Newark accused all three of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. However, Hamilton Eromosele is also indicted for aggravated identity theft.

“To date, the total amount of stolen credit card purchases confirmed as part of the conspiracy is approximately $3 million.” The criminal complaint states.

Hamilton Eromosele, also known as Emmanuel Eromosele or Donald Sele, is the ringleader of the criminal network. He would obtain credit card information from various sources, including the darkweb, and would recruit women through social media platforms. The women would then travel throughout the country to retrieve the illegally purchased goods for a percentage of the earnings.

According to the court affidavit, the U.S. Secret Service raided an apartment in New Rochelle where all three suspects were arrested, besides multiple credit cards scattered all over the apartment. More so, several cards were also thrown out of a window. A fact that might impact their sentence negatively, as the group tried to dispose of evidence. All three of the suspects had previous encounters with criminality:

1. The ringleader Hamilton Eromosele was arrested in 2016, in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the sequestration of a woman in a hotel room involving a credit card scheme feud. Furthermore, the officers found 19 fake Discover credit cards in an adjacent hotel room and 700 credit card credentials on his laptop.

2. Youssouf “Slim” Traore was apprehended in 2017, in Fayetteville, Arkansas for trying to purchase a $4,800 Rolex watch with a Discover card listed to his name but with a stolen account number.

3. Deja “Mo Bandz” Monet Handsford was caught in 2017, in Lyons, Georgia after an Uber driver called the police over suspicions of fraud. More precisely, the chauffeur drove the woman to several stores and paid with numerous credit cards. Shortly after, the police arrived and found four Discover cards hidden in the car, none of which were listed on her name.

Taking into consideration the existence of a criminal past for all suspects, and aggravating factors such as evidence disposal, the criminal group is expected to receive up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $25,000.