Two Big Apple duos indicted in credit card scams

Vic Washington

Aaron Young

DOVER - Two pairs of New York City area men, who in separate incidents within four days in January allegedly sought to purchase items with bogus credit cards at Rochester malls, have been indicted on a host of charges related to fraudulent use of debit and credit cards by a Strafford County grand jury.
Vic Washington, 44, of 203rd St., Queens, was indicted on four counts of receiving stolen property, all Class B felonies; two counts of Identity theft, both Class A felonies; attempted theft by deception, a Class B felony; attempted theft by unauthorized taking, a Class B felony; two counts of theft by unauthorized taking, both Class B felonies; and receiving stolen property, another Class B felony.
Aaron Young, 30, of 11137 203rd St., St. Albans, N.Y., was indicted on two counts of identity fraud and one count of theft by unauthorized taking.
Prosecutors at the pair’s initial arraignment said the two men had obtained many credit numbers using night cameras to capture people’s credit card numbers as they checked into a New Jersey hotel.
Prosecutors also alleged that the pair had at least one video stored on a cell phone that showed them in possession of vast sums of cash.
The two are alleged to have entered Kohl’s on Jan. 9 and tried to use a bogus credit card to purchase items. When the clerk swiped the card, the rejection came from a credit card provider other than the one named on the card. After the pair left Kohl’s empty-handed, store managers contacted Rochester Police, who met up with the two men as they were leaving Lowe’s after purchasing several items using one of the bad cards.

Djeffry Louis

Rochester Police arrested the pair and also confiscated “many” fraudulent credit cards and phony Indiana driver’s licenses.
Four days later on Jan.13 it is alleged Deval Rhodes and Djeffry Louis, also both from the Big Apple, attempted their own credit card scam at the Lilac Mall.
Rhodes, 32, of 2168 Renfrew Ave., Elmont, N.Y., and Louis, 20, of 24517 New Hall Ave., Rosedale, N.Y., were both indicted on one count of theft by unauthorized taking and one count of receiving stolen property apiece.
On the night of their arrest, Rochester Police were tipped off about the duo when a Hannaford’s employee reported two men had bought $400 worth of gift cards, then returned moments later and tried to buy another $800 in gift cards, but that the second credit card was declined. They then tried to make the purchase with a third card, but that also reportedly declined.
The men allegedly went and bought or attempted to buy gift cards at several stores in the Lilac Mall as well as stopping to buy baby formula and Newport cigarettes at a Rochester CVS drug store, where they also allegedly used a bogus card.

Deval Rhodes

The duo were ultimately arrested outside Pet Paradise.
All four men remain at the Strafford County House of Correction on high bail.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.