FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
DECEMBER 19, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COLLEGE PARK MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN CREDIT CARD FRAUD SCHEME AND TO FILING FALSE TAX RETURNS
Stolen Credit Cards Used to Purchase Over $1.4 Million in High-End Electronic Equipment
Greenbelt, Maryland - Lance C. Grieashamer, age 28, of College Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and filing a false tax return in connection with a scheme to use stolen credit cards to purchase high end electronic equipment, which he then re-sold, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, from about 1999 until February 2006, Grieashamer and his co-conspirators identified public events and locations in Maryland and Virginia that they believed would be frequented by individuals with credit cards, such as sports events, parks, churches, and funerals. At these locations, Grieashamer and his co-conspirators used tools to break into automobiles and steal credit cards from wallets and purses. Grieashamer would pay others to use the stolen credit cards to purchase high-end electronic equipment, such as laptop computers, monitors and cameras. Grieashamer then re-sold the stolen equipment on the internet and to companies in New York, Florida, and California. In addition to selling items he and others stole together, Grieashamer also sold similar merchandise he knew to be stolen by others. In all, between 2000 and 2006, Grieshamer received more than $1.4 million for merchandise he knew had been purchased with stolen credit cards. Grieashamer also failed to report the substantial income from this scheme to the Internal Revenue Service for tax years 2001 through 2006.
Grieashamer faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the credit card fraud conspiracy and three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for filing a false tax return. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Fairfax County Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service Metro Fraud Task Force for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pauze, who is prosecuting the case.