A fraud and theft operation has been busted in Houston, with five locals facing a slew of charges that could lock them away for decades. The group's alleged scheme, netting over a million bucks in stolen money, was laid bare by the U.S. Attorney’s office on Monday.
Caught in the federal dragnet were Daniel Rios Sanchez, 35, and Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade, 62, whose supposed swindle came to a screeching halt today, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The others—Dennis Christopher McGee, 41; Bradley Kane Zarco, 37; and Travis Castaneda Qawasmeh, 26—had already been nabbed and are now caught up in the legal lasso too. They all hail from Houston and have a date with U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan is on the docket for this afternoon.
The indictment spells out how the group allegedly got their hands on new credit cards and bank statements right out of stolen mail. They’re accused of a brazen con, calling up banks to activate the pilfered plastic, inflate credit limits, and make liberal changes to account info.
All are charged with one count of conspiracy, which carries a possible five-year prison term. If convicted of bank fraud, they could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, while a conviction of receipt of stolen mail carries a potential five-year sentence.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden handling prosecution duties.
