FRIDLEY, Minn. (CBS) — Two men are charged with fraud after they allegedly used stolen EBT cards to purchase energy drinks they would then sell to gas station owners at a profit.
Charges filed in Anoka County, Minnesota, on Wednesday say a woman from Colorado called Fridley police to report four fraudulent purchases at a Sam’s Club and one at a Walmart.
Law enforcement identified 203 separate fraudulent transactions in Minnesota between July 3 and Sept. 28 totaling nearly$75,000. The purchases were made across the Twin Cities and used EBT cards belonging to more than 100 victims from California, Colorado, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Investigators learned about an ongoing EBT fraud investigation in Colorado, and law enforcement there was able to identify the suspects using photos taken from surveillance footage. The case in Colorado involves at least $90,000 in fraudulent transactions. In both the Minnesota and Colorado investigations, the suspects were seen purchasing large quantities of Red Bull, charges say.
While conducting a search warrant on a Minneapolis storage unit connected to the suspects, police say they found approximately 1,200 cases of Red Bull.
Law enforcement spoke with one of the suspects, who allegedly told investigators he would receive the EBT cards from an unknown man and use them to purchase Red Bull and other items. He would then sell the Red Bull to gas station owners and give the sale proceeds to the man who had supplied him with the EBT cards.
Charges say both suspects are Romanian nationals and pose a significant flight risk.
Comments