SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A traffic stop Wednesday on Interstate 75 in Sumter County led to troopers finding fraudulent credit cards and credit card skimmers, according to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers conducted the traffic stop on a 2019 Range Rover, the release states, adding FHP K9 Flip alerted on the vehicle after the two men were questioned.
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When a search was conducted, troopers found “four credit card skimming devices used for stealing and storing bank card information and 20 fraudulent credit cards concealed within the vehicle,” FHP said in a statement.
Troopers identified driver Carlos E. Del Pino, 34, of Tampa, and the passenger, Yandi Valdes Rodriguez, 35, of Tampa.
Del Pino had previously been charged by the U.S. Secret Service for possessing a credit card skimming device and also has had an active Deportation Order effective since 2019, according to Border Patrol. He is on federal probation.
Both men were arrested to face multiple charges and were taken to the Sumter County jail. Their charges include:
Carlos E. Del Pino:
- Criminal use of personal identification information - Felony - 11 counts
- Possession and transfer of credit-card-making equipment - Felony - 4 counts
- Theft; obtaining credit card through fraudulent means - Felony - 16 counts
- Unlawful possession of the personal identification information of another person - Felony - 11 counts
- Traffic in or possess counterfeit credit cards - Felony - 11 counts
- Use of scanning device, skimming device, or re-encoder to defraud; possession of skimming device; penalties - Felony - 4 counts
Yandi Valdes Rodriguez:
- Criminal use of personal identification information - Felony - 11 counts
- Possession and transfer of credit-card-making equipment - Felony - 4 counts
- Theft; obtaining credit card through fraudulent means - Felony - 15 counts
- Unlawful possession of the personal identification information of another person - Felony - 11 counts
- Traffic in or possess counterfeit credit cards - Felony - 11 counts
- Use of scanning device, skimming device, or re-encoder to defraud; possession of skimming device; penalties - Felony - 4 counts
The investigation is still ongoing and FHP stated it did not have any additional information at the time of this report.
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