Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing $200,000 In Credit Card Scheme

A 36-year-old Miami, Fla. man pleaded guilty in federal court in New Haven Tuesday to bilking $200,000 from several businesses in a credit card scheme.

Khristian Munizaga pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis to one count of access device fraud and one count of identity theft, David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced in a press release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 2010 and November 2010, Munizaga unlawfully obtained several credit card numbers and created counterfeit credit cards bearing an embossment of the credit card numbers and the names of two actual persons.  Munizaga also created counterfeit drivers’ licenses in the names of the two persons.
       
Munizaga then used the counterfeit credit cards to purchase gift cards from Stop & Shop, Big Y, Staples, and Safeway stores, and to rent vehicles from Hertz.  These transactions occurred in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and Virginia.  Munizaga sold most of the gift cards to others and kept some for his own use.

As a result of this fraud scheme, the businesses and the credit company that supported the credit accounts suffered losses in excess of $200,000.
 
Munizaga is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on October 21, at which time Munizaga faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on the access device fraud count, and a mandatory minimum two-year consecutive term of imprisonment on the identity theft count.

 Munizaga has been incarcerated since his arrest by the East Windsor Police Department on November 17, 2010.

 This case is being investigated by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the United States Secret Service; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; the Connecticut State Police; and the Glastonbury, Greenwich, Hartford, New Haven and Shelton Police Departments.

The East Windsor Police Department also has participated in the investigation.