A 51-year-old man who turned restaurant dining rooms into his personal shopping mall was sentenced Tuesday in St. Louis to 75 months in federal prison for what prosecutors describe as a cross-country credit-card theft spree targeting unsuspecting patrons.
Prosecutors say Rene A. Velasquez would grab purses and wallets from diners, then sprint through their credit limits by quickly buying gift cards and small items before anyone realized their belongings were gone. The case, federal officials say, involved thefts across the St. Louis region and in other states.
Velasquez pleaded guilty in November to three counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Each access-device fraud count carries a potential 10-year prison term and a fine of up to $250,000, and the aggravated-identity-theft count adds a mandatory two-year sentence to be served consecutively, per the same release. The U.S. Attorney's Office said a federal judge handed down the 75-month term on Tuesday.
The plea agreement spells out several incidents that prosecutors highlighted. On Aug. 25, 2024, Velasquez is accused of taking a Lululemon belt bag off a diner’s chair in Cottleville and, within an hour, using the victim’s card to buy five Visa gift cards and a pack of salted nuts totaling $1,031. That same day he allegedly swiped a purse at a Brentwood restaurant and later used that card to purchase $1,445 in gift cards. In a November 3, 2024, incident in St. Peters, a stolen wallet was reportedly followed by five gift-card purchases and a Pepsi for about $1,035, as previously detailed in Chilean National Admits to $47K.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
According to prosecutors, Velasquez focused on busy restaurants where diners left bags or wallets on chairs or hanging off the backs of seats. Once he had a purse or wallet in hand, they say, he converted the stolen card numbers into fast, low-profile purchases like gift cards and cheap snacks, making it harder for victims and banks to immediately spot the fraud.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the scheme netted at least $47,000. Velasquez, who was living in Tarzana, California, during the crime spree, used aliases including Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez and Henry Diaz, according to prosecutors.
Investigation and sentence
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations led the probe, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case, according to FOX2. The judge ordered the 75-month federal prison term as part of the sentence delivered on Tuesday.
For local diners, prosecutors say many of the thefts happened in crowded restaurants where belongings were left unattended. Keeping bags zipped, off the backs of chairs, and within arm’s reach can cut the odds of becoming a target. Anyone with information about similar incidents is asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations or the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
