Release # 95-2017

www.queensda.org
DISTRICT ATTORNEY twitter@QueensDABrown
QUEENS COUNTY
125-01 QUEENS BOULEVARD
KEW GARDENS, NEW YORK 11415-1568
718-286-6000

RICHARD A. BROWN
DISTRICT ATTORNEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: QDA PRESS OFFICE

FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2017 (718) 286-6315

NYPD/DCPI
(646) 610-6700

QUEENS-BASED COUNTERFEIT CREDIT CARD RING DISMANTLED

Eleven People Charged with Conspiracy, Grand Larceny and More;
Defendants Allegedly Went on Shopping Sprees With Bogus Credit Cards
And Made More Than $200,000 in Purchases From Apple, Target, Best Buy, Sephora
and Other Stores In New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by New York City Police Commissioner
James P. ONeill, today announced that a Queens County grand jury has indicted 11 individuals charging
them with running a counterfeit credit card operation, in which they allegedly forged charge cards and
made tens of thousands of dollars in purchases at stores within Queens and Long Island counties, as well
as in Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland, between October 2016 and April 2017. In addition three
additional individuals were summarily arrested following the execution of court-ordered search warrants.

The 139-count indictment is the result of a long-term investigation, said District Attorney
Brown. Utilizing a court-authorized warrant to wiretap the phones of the main defendant and others
involved in the alleged scheme, my Economic Crimes Bureau along with the New York City Police
Departments Queens South Gang Squad, Queens South Grand Larceny Squad and the Intelligence
Criminal Section were able to eavesdrop on the defendants as they discussed the manufacturing of
counterfeit credit cards, as well as obtain information about their extravagant shopping trips, during
which they allegedly bought electronics, cosmetics and other merchandise, along with gift cards.

District Attorney Brown added that The defendants alleged crimes not only victimized
department stores costing those businesses thousands of dollars in losses but also the consumers
whose personal information were stolen and used to carry out the alleged scheme. Even after the alleged
culprits are prosecuted, the individual victims will still face difficulty in repairing their credit ratings and
credit scores. The financial repercussions from being a victim of identity theft can last for years.
Furthermore, as three members of this alleged credit card ring are purported to be affiliated with the Mac
Ballas, a set of the Bloods street gang, this ring allegedly could have been funding the operations of a
violent street gang. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stomp out this
kind of illegal activity.

Police Commissioner ONeill said, The 11 defendants in this case fraudulently purchased more
than $200,000 in electronics and make-up, exploiting others credit lines at stores like Best Buy, Target
and Sephora. Thanks to this long-term investigation, only three charges are real: conspiracy, grand
larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. I want to thank District Attorney Browns office and
the NYPD investigators who worked to bring this indictment.

(MORE)
 -2-

District Attorney Brown said that 8 of the indicted defendants in the case were arraigned yesterday
before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Stephanie Zaro on a 139-count indictment that variously
charged them with the crimes of second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property,
third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, fourth-
and fifth-degree conspiracy, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. Of the remaining
three defendants, one is presently in custody out-of-state on a separate criminal matter and two are
presently being sought.

In addition to the arrests of the indicted defendants, three individuals, and five of the indicted
defendants, were summarily arrested this week following the execution of court-authorized searches. (See
Addendum for information on all defendants).

The District Attorney identified the main defendant as Ramsey Rambo Sutton, 23, of
Ronkonkoma, Long Island. Sutton is purported to be a member of the Mac Ballas, an off-shoot of the
Bloods street gang. A court-authorized wiretap of Suttons phone and other defendants mobile devices
allegedly revealed numerous conversations about purchasing stolen credit card information online and
using the data to forge usable credit cards.

According to the indictment, said District Attorney Brown, investigators eavesdropped on more
than nine phones which allegedly revealed Sutton and his co-defendants placing stolen credit card
information on blank Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards including those with chip
technology. Armed with the phony cards, female shoppers were allegedly sent out on shopping sprees.
The male defendants are also alleged to have shopped with the phony credit cards. The defendants
allegedly purchased sought-after electronics, such as the Apple iPads and other Apple products. Between
October 2016 and February 2017, shoppers are alleged to have purchased in excess of $50,000 worth
of makeup, gift cards and other items from Sephora stores in New York, Connecticut, Virginia and
Maryland. The defendants also allegedly used online financial services to purchase stolen credit card
information and to transfer proceeds from their alleged illegal enterprise between each other and with
other individuals.

District Attorney Brown continued, according to the indictment, in addition to the purchases made
at the Sephora stores along the Eastern Seaboard, the defendants are alleged to have purchased more than
$200,000 worth of items between October 26, 2016, and April 4, 2017, during several local shopping
trips to such stores as Target at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, Long Island; the Target store at
Roosevelt Field in East Garden City, Long Island; Best Buy in the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, New
York; the Best Buy store on Richmond Avenue in Staten Island; and the Best Buy store in Bay Parkway
in Brooklyn.

As indicated in the indictment, District Attorney Brown added, the Queens home of defendant
Jordan Clarke, 26, was used as a mill where the defendants allegedly created the forged credit cards. His
home was also allegedly a gathering point at times for shoppers to drop off merchandise that was then
distributed amongst the defendants. It is alleged that the gift cards purchased along with some of the other
merchandise were sold to fences in Queens County for cash.

In addition to the arrests, court-authorized search warrants were executed at various locations in
Queens County, Kings County and in Ronkonkoma, Long Island. The items allegedly seized include four
firearms, ammunition, 81 forged credit cards, 43 oxycodone pills, 25 morphine sulfate pills, credit card
faces, a NYPD-issued bullet-resistant vest panel, an expandable baton, a USB drive containing instruction
(MORE)
 -3-
manuals on how to create forged credit cards and forged drivers licenses, approximately 150 templates
for credit cards, three card reader/writers, a credit card embossing machine and a manual credit card
imprinter. Numerous vehicles, allegedly used in the operation of this credit card fraud ring, were also
seized, including a Maserati, Ford Mustang, Jeep, BMW and G35 Infiniti.

The investigation was conducted by various members of the New York City Police Department,
including Detective Michael OBrien, of the Queens South Gang Squad, under the supervision of
Lieutenant Brian Goss; Sergeant Richard Mezzatesta and Inspector John Corbisiero, Narcotics Bureau
Queens South; Detective Christopher Lipton, of the Queens South Grand Larceny Squad, under the
supervision of Lieutenant Rohan Griffith, Commanding Officer, and Deputy Chief Joseph Dowling,
Commanding Officer of the Grand Larceny Division; and by Sergeant Michael Sykora, of the Intelligence
Criminal Section, under the supervision of Deputy Chief Matthew Whelan, Commanding Officer, Deputy
Inspector Roberto Rios and Lieutenant Patrick Diskin. Also assisting in the investigation was Assistant
District Attorney Heather H. Marshall and other members of the District Attorney Browns Economic
Crimes Bureau.

Assistant District Attorney Heather H. Marshall, of District Attorney Browns Economic Crimes
Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gregory C. Pavlides,
Bureau Chief, and Christina Hanophy and Kristen A. Kane, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall
supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco.

It should be noted that an indictment and a criminal complaint are merely accusations and that
a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
#
Note to Editors: Press release e-version posted at www.queensda.org.

ADDENDUM

INDICTED DEFENDANTS:

RAMSEY RAMBO SUTTON, 23, of Ronkonkoma in Long Island, is charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree
criminal possession of stolen property, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession of a forged
instrument, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. Sutton is purported
to be affiliated with the Mac Ballas gang. Bail was set at $250,000 and he was ordered to return to court on July 12, 2017. If
convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Sutton is additionally charged in a criminal complaint with second-degree criminal
possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of forgery devices. His bail in that matter was set at $15,000 and
his return date is June 13, 2017.

ALIJAH AJ MOORE, 24, of Laurelton, Queens, is charged with second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a forged
instrument, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth- and fifth-degree
conspiracy, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. Moore is purported to be affiliated with the Mac Ballas
gang. Bail was set at $150,000 and he was ordered to return to court on July 12, 2017. If convicted, he faces up to seven years
in prison. Moore is additionally charged in a criminal complaint with second- and third-degree criminal possession of a
weapon, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of forgery devices. His bail in that
matter was set at $75,000 and his return date is June 13, 2017.

JORDAN CLARKE, 26, of Rosedale, Queens, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument,
fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, petit
larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. Bail was set at $150,000 and he was ordered to return to court on July
12, 2017. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison. Clarke is additionally charged in a criminal complaint with third-
degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal
possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of forgery devices. Bail was set at $50,000 in that matter and his
return date is June 13, 2017.

(MORE)
 -4-
ASHA PATTERSON, 22, of Queens Village, Queens, is charged with second degree criminal possession of a forged
instrument, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree grand larceny, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business
records. She was released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court on July 12, 2017. If convicted, she faces
up to seven years in prison.
CHEYENNE TUCKER, 22, of Cambria Heights, Queens, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged
instrument, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree grand larceny, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business
records. She was released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court on July 12, 2017. If convicted, she faces
up to seven years in prison.
CLARENCE BAUGH, 23, of Cambria Heights, Queens, is charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree
criminal possession of a forged instrument, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, fourth- and fifth-
degree conspiracy, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. Bail was set at $50,000 and he was ordered to
return to court on July 12, 2017. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison. Baugh is additionally charged in a criminal
complaint with second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. Bail was set
at $50,000 in that matter and his return date is June 20, 2017.

DNAYA NEBLETT, 24, of Springfield Gardens, Queens, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged
instrument, fourth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records. She was
released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court on July 12, 2017. If convicted, she faces up to seven years
in prison.

DOMINIQUE PAYNE, 23, of Queens Village, Queens, is charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth- and
fifth-degree conspiracy, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen
property and first-degree falsifying business records. Bail was set at $5,000 and she was ordered to return to court on July 12,
2017. If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison. Payne is additionally charged in a criminal court with second-degree
criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of forgery devices. Payne, who faces up to seven years
in prison on the additional charges, was ordered held on $7,500 bail and to return to court on June 20, 2017.

*CORI PARHAM, 30, of Jamaica, Queens, is charged with third-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal possession
of a forged instrument, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy and first-degree falsifying business records. If convicted, she faces
up to seven years in prison.

*CHELSEA TAITT, 19, of South Ozone Park, Queens, is charged with third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree
criminal possession of a forged instrument, fourth-degree conspiracy, petit larceny and first-degree falsifying business records.
If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison.

**JELANI BUCKS BAILEY, 26, of Cambria Heights, Queens, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a
forged instrument, fourth- and fifth-degree conspiracy, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen
property and first-degree falsifying business records. Bailey is purported to be affiliated with the Mac Ballas gang. If
convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

DEFENDANTS SUMMARILY ARRESTED:

ANDRE PILGRIM, 43, of Brooklyn, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal
possession of forgery devices. Bail was set at $15,000. His next court date is June 13, 2017. If convicted, he faces up to seven
years in prison.

JILLIAN OBASA, 22, of Rosedale, Queens, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and
criminal possession of forgery devices. She was released on her own recognizance and was ordered to return to court on June
13, 2017. If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison.

JODIANN OYESHOLA, 24, of Stafford, Texas, is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal
possession of forgery devices. Bail was set at $10,000 and she was ordered to return to court on June 13, 2017. If convicted,
she faces up to 15 years in prison.

*Presently being sought.

**Currently in custody out of state on separate matter.