LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Pasco County Sheriff's Office detectives said eight people used stolen credit card information to steal thousands of dollars from victims across 20 states, all while behind bars at the detention center.
- 2 suspects arrested; warrants issued for other 6
- Authorities say 43 transactions resulted in theft of about $8,000
According to investigators, someone outside the jail bought the card information from the dark web using BitCoin. They then deposited money onto the inmates' commissary cards, and the inmates released that money to people outside the jail.
Detective Anthony Cardillo with the PCSO Economic Crimes Unit said those people told investigators they didn't know the money was obtained illegally.
Cardillo said a total of 43 transactions resulted in a theft of just more than $8,000.
The scheme has resulted in some changes at the detention center. For example, Cardillo said inmates can now only release as much money from their commissary cards as they had on them when they were brought into the jail. The detective noted preventing this kind of crime is difficult.
"It's hard to combat, it's hard to identify, and when you do, you're behind the eight ball and you're trying to just notify the victims, make sure they get reimbursed by their credit card company or whatever and then move forward,” Cardillo said.
Two suspects have been arrested, and warrants have been issued for the remaining six. He said finding the person or persons who bought the stolen credit cards likely won't be possible since BitCoin is difficult to trace.