NEWS RELEASE
Three Tampa suspects arrested for skimming

 

For Immediate Release

August 20, 2015

 
TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and US Secret Service, arrested three Tampa residents on August 13 after a six-month investigation involving skimming devices found at various gas stations in the area. Ernesto Leal Vazquez, 27, Ahmed Garcia Sifonte, 30, and  Iraksu Leyva Gonzalez, 32, of Tampa, Fla., were arrested on warrants for criminal use of personal identification information; scheme to defraud financial institution and organized fraud.
 
The warrants were issued following an investigation that began in February when three skimming devices were located at several Polk County gas stations. Suspects were observed to use stolen credit card numbers, obtained from the skimming devices, to fraudulently purchase gift cards and money orders. Once a gift card was purchased the suspects would then purchase a money order, the money orders would then be deposited into their personal bank accounts, followed by cash withdrawal in order to launder the money.
 
Vazquez, Sifonte, and Gonzalez were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail. Vazquez is held on a $300,000 bond and Sifonte and Gonzalez are held on bonds of $225,000 each.  The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor.
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Molly Best, or Steve Arthur
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001