Close Menu
  • Home
  • COMMUNITY NEWS
  • LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS
  • SCHOOL NEWS
  • MILITARY NEWS
  • CRIME / PUBLIC SAFETY
  • THINGS TO DO
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • NORTHWEST FLORIDA NEWS
  • FLORIDA NEWS
  • Contact
Facebook
Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Niceville.com
Niceville.com
Home»FLORIDA NEWS»Three sentenced in elaborate multi-million-dollar credit card fraud scheme
FLORIDA NEWS

Three sentenced in elaborate multi-million-dollar credit card fraud scheme

Niceville.comSeptember 17, 20233 Mins Read
rusty barbed wire fence in sunny day
Prison fence. (File photo)

FLORIDA — Three Florida men have been sentenced for their roles in a sizable credit card fraud scheme that operated in Cape Coral between late 2015 and mid-2018.

Advertisement

U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Carlos Tejeda, 62, of Cape Coral, to 16 years in federal prison, Juan Tejeda, 35, of Cape Coral, to 15 years in federal prison, and Pedro Pelaez, 59, of Cape Coral, to six years in federal prison.

Carlos and Juan Tejeda, the ringleader father and son, were found guilty on April 27, 2023, by a federal jury of 44 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to launder money, production of counterfeit access devices, and possession of device-making supplies.

The jury convicted Pelaez guilty of 11 federal charges for his involvement in the scam, including conspiracy to conduct wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder money.

Advertisement
A square digital ad for Midbay Veterinary Hospital with multiple dogs of different breeds, a blue veterinary cross logo, Dr. Maya Chapman’s contact information, and a “Click” button for scheduling an appointment.

The seven-day trial heard testimony that Carlos Tejeda enlisted the help of several friends and associates, including Pedro Pelaez, to establish shell businesses, acquire credit card processing terminals for those businesses, and then give Carlos Tejeda access to the terminals so that he could swipe fake credit cards that had been fraudulently encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers.

The evidence established that Juan Tejeda’s major responsibility was to encode the fake cards for his father Carlos Tejeda, but he was also directly responsible for swiping the fake cards on the terminals used by the shell business.

The average amount of each fraudulent transaction was between $1,000 and $3,000; however, before cardholders from across the United States recognized their card information had been compromised, the same stolen card number was often used again across many shell businesses.

Advertisement

The proprietors of the shell companies would reportedly pay Carlos or Juan a predetermined portion of the fraudulent gains once the stolen money was placed into the bank accounts of the shell companies, keeping the rest for themselves.

The scam was carried out via nine shell businesses, including several that Carlos and Juan Tejeda personally formed. The jury was shown credit card transaction information that demonstrated that thousands of credit card transactions totaling more than $2.6 million were attempted or completed on the terminals of the shell business during the scam.

The three individuals mentioned above are among the nine people who have been found guilty and jailed for participating in the scam.

Advertisement

The United States Secret Service and the Cape Coral Police Department investigated the issue. Simon R. Eth, an assistant US attorney, handled the prosecution.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Previous ArticleDedicated Okaloosa school volunteer Pat Smales is Senior Volunteer of the Year
Next Article Florida pharmacist and clinic owner found guilty in clinical trial data fabrication scheme

Related Posts

It's Geek to Me header illustration for weekly tech column by Jeff Werner

Jeff Werner explains what to do after approving a fake login

June 22, 2025
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles at night during DUI traffic stop

Driver accused of wrong-way DUI nearly hits deputy in Destin

June 18, 2025
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida

Pensacola man pleads guilty to cyberstalking, obscene acts targeting girls

June 18, 2025
Advertisement
The Wharf 850 Niceville, Florida
Categories
  • COMMUNITY NEWS
  • CRIME / PUBLIC SAFETY
  • FLORIDA NEWS
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • IT'S GEEK TO ME
  • LARRY WILLIAMS
  • LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS
  • MARKETPLACE NEWS
  • MILITARY NEWS
  • NORTHWEST FLORIDA NEWS
  • OUTDOORS
  • ROADS / TRANSPORTATION
  • SCHOOL NEWS
  • THINGS TO DO
Advertisement
A square digital ad for Midbay Veterinary Hospital with multiple dogs of different breeds, a blue veterinary cross logo, Dr. Maya Chapman’s contact information, and a “Click” button for scheduling an appointment.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
  • EGLIN FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
  • EYEWEAR UNLIMITED
  • HAIR EXPRESS
  • MIDBAY VETERINARY HOSPITAL
  • NICEVILLE FARMERS MARKET
  • NICEVILLE INSURANCE AGENCY
  • RUCKEL PROPERTIES, INC.
  • THE WHARF 850
Advertisement
A square digital ad for Midbay Veterinary Hospital with multiple dogs of different breeds, a blue veterinary cross logo, Dr. Maya Chapman’s contact information, and a “Click” button for scheduling an appointment.
Categories
  • COMMUNITY NEWS
  • CRIME / PUBLIC SAFETY
  • FLORIDA NEWS
  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • IT'S GEEK TO ME
  • LARRY WILLIAMS
  • LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS
  • MARKETPLACE NEWS
  • MILITARY NEWS
  • NORTHWEST FLORIDA NEWS
  • OUTDOORS
  • ROADS / TRANSPORTATION
  • SCHOOL NEWS
  • THINGS TO DO
Advertisement
The Wharf 850 Niceville, Florida
Advertisement

ABOUT NICEVILLE.COM

PRIVACY POLICY

TERMS OF SERVICE

© 2025 Niceville.com. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.