Two Essex County men were arrested today for their roles in a fraudulent debit card scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Police say Mr. Alateef Perry, 43, of Newark, and Rajohn Dawkins, 25, of Irvington are charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
Both defendants are scheduled to make initial appearances this afternoon by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2019 through March 2020, Perry and Dawkins fraudulently used debit cards in the names of other individuals, without the cardholders’ consent or knowledge, to purchase diesel fuel for commercial truck drivers in exchange for cash.
Perry and Dawkins met commercial truck drivers at multiple gas stations in New Jersey, including gas stations located in Hanover and Middlesex.
Perry and Dawkins used the unauthorized debit cards to fill the drivers’ commercial trucks with diesel fuel.
The truck drivers then typically paid Perry and Dawkins a fraction of the fuel’s purchase price in cash, which Perry and Dawkins pocketed.
Perry and Dawkins used over 500 unauthorized debit cards and ultimately stole over $220,000.
The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison and a maximum potential fine of $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater.