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Officials: 3 arrested in Osceola County credit card skimmer, fuel theft ring

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Three Osceola County residents were arrested Thursday in connection with an extensive credit card skimming and fuel theft ring, the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement said.

Agricultural law enforcement officers said they arrested Vagda Menendez-Hernandez, 45, Yoel Torres, 44, and Osvel Aquino-Lopez, 48, for the possession and use of skimming devices and credit card re-encoders, which were used to steal financial information and manufacture counterfeit credit cards.

During the search of a Kissimmee home, investigators said they discovered three credit card skimming devices, 11 scanning devices, a card re-encoder, gas pump security seals and more than 50 counterfeit credit cards.

"The criminal enterprise used skimmers to produce counterfeit credit cards to illegally purchase fuel," an agency spokesman said. "The fuel was stored in 'bladder trucks,' which are vehicles retrofitted with concealed tanks to transport large amounts of gasoline to be sold on the black market."

Investigators said they seized Torres' Ford F350, which was used to store the stolen fuel, and Menendez-Hernandez's Mercedes C-300, which was purchased with funds obtained through the criminal enterprise.

Aquino-Lopez, Menendez-Hernandez and Torres were booked into the Osceola County Jail on 11 counts of using a scanning device or skimming device to obtain payment card information, three counts of possession of a credit card skimming device, and one count each of using a re-encoder to place fraudulent credit card information on a counterfeit card, falsely making counterfeit credit card, falsely embossing a credit card, dealing in credit cards of another, possession of credit card-making equipment, credit card forgery and possession of 50 or more counterfeit credit cards.

Torres faces additional charges, including unlawful conveyance of fuel and two counts of obtaining fuel fraudulently.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Secret Service task force assisted with the investigation.

No other details were given.