Former Rosslyn coffee shop owner sentenced to prison in credit …

A co-owner of the former Caffe Aficionado in Rosslyn and two accomplices have been sentenced in connection with a multi-year credit card fraud scheme. On March 15, co-owner Adiam Berhane, 50, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a press release yesterday (Wednesday).

Berhane faced a minimum of two and a maximum of 196 years in prison, per federal sentencing guidelines. Two people she recruited in the scheme, Tiffany Younger, 51, and Keith Lemons, 56, received less severe penalties. Younger, of D.C., was sentenced Wednesday to 2 years of probation while Lemons, of Clinton, Maryland, was sentenced to time served and six months of home confinement on March 15.

Berhane conspired to carry out a scheme involving stolen credit card information, federal prosecutors said. The fraud lasted until Oct.

2016, when the well-regarded cafe was shut down following a police raid. Berhane created fraudulent credit cards using stolen identities of D.C. area residents.

She recruited Younger and Lemons to purchase gift cards, expensive luxury goods, and other items from local retail stores using these fake credit cards. “The fraud caused over hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to area retailers and financial institutions,” according to a press release from the Dept. of Justice. This included four banks and a handful of stores, such as REI and TJ Maxx, according to information the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney provided to ARLnow six years ago.

“As part of the scheme, items purchased with victims’ credit card information would sometimes be returned for refunds to bank accounts that Berhane controlled,” federal prosecutors said. Berhane used the fraudulent cards to buy gift cards that she redeemed at Caffe Aficionado. “More than a third of Caffe Aficionado’s income from June 2013 to July 2016 came from a pattern of highly unusual redemptions of American Express gift cards, with the pattern beginning several months before Caffe Aficionado opened in approximately October 2013,” per the press release.

In December, Berhane was convicted on a litany of charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, trafficking in unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of 15 or more access devices and possession of access device-making equipment with intent to defraud. Berhane was initially charged in Arlington County. Her case dragged on for a few years and the charges were ultimately dropped amid accusations that defense attorneys had to process thousands of pages of documents by hand — a rule set by then-Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos.

Federal prosecutors subsequently took up the case. Berhane was previously convicted of a credit card fraud scheme in New York City in the early 2000s. Her business partner, Clark Donat, was not charged in the federal case.

He pleaded guilty to multiple financial crimes in 2017, including credit card fraud, money laundering and racketeering. Court records show he received a 25 year prison sentence with 11 years suspended. Federal prosecutors, FBI officials and Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn made yesterday’s announcement after U.S.

District Judge Anthony J. Trenga sentenced the final defendant. The case was prosecuted with help from the Montgomery County Police Department, the FBI Cyber Task Force, the U.S.

Postal Office of the Inspector General, the Secret Service and Capitol Police, per the press release.

Tags:

hp listed on couponmatrix.ukideal-world listed on couponmatrix.ukjetparkscouk listed on couponmatrix.uklotto-social listed on couponmatrix.ukoptimum-nutrition listed on couponmatrix.ukscan listed on couponmatrix.uk
hp listed on couponmatrix.ukIf you’re looking for a new computer, tablet or printer then HP is definitely the place to check out. For nearly 80 years they have been at the forefront of computing technology, and with all that experience they produce some of the best tech products on the planet. Whether you’re looking for a laptop, desktop, tablet or printer, HP has it all. When you use an HP discout code from us you’ll find you can make great savings on these already low prices, so check out HP’s full range today.
ideal-world listed on couponmatrix.ukIn an Ideal World, all the products you need would be in one place. From hoovers to handbags, watches to wigs and gloves to gazebos, if there’s something you need then chances are you’ll find it right here. Shop this remarkable online emporium for less with an Ideal World discount code from Groupon. There’s an endless array of awesome goods on offer from Ideal World, so you’re sure to find something to bring a smile to your face.
jetparkscouk listed on couponmatrix.ukWhen we’re jetting off on holiday, the last thing we want to worry about is parking our car. With unorganised car parks and expensive tariffs, airport parking can be a real minefield, but with a Jetparks discount code, you can relax in the comfort of a pre-booked parking space close to the terminal. Get away without the hassle of long or short-stay car parks with Jetparks today.
lotto-social listed on couponmatrix.ukUp your chances of winning big with Lotto Social. We all know that playing together is better—Lotto Social makes it easy! Providing syndicates for major lotteries like the EuroMillions UK Lotto, Lotto Social offers various combinations of tickets, depending on what lottery you want to enter and how much you want to invest. Make the most of a Lotto Social voucher code from us to save on your plan, and enjoy a stress-free syndicate for less.
optimum-nutrition listed on couponmatrix.ukWhen you’re wanting to push your performance to the max, you need to train with the best supplements on the market. Optimum Nutrition step in to be that helping hand to bodybuilders, athletes and regular gym-goers alike. With an Optimum Nutrition discount code you could save on some muscle-enhancing proteins, or put down the price of some essential amino acids and multivitamins to keep your system healthy and your body building.
scan listed on couponmatrix.ukIt doesn’t matter if you’re a computer whizz or a newcomer to the keyboard, Scan can help you find the hardware and accessories you need to breeze the digital landscape. Next time you fancy upgrading your PC or shelling out for a new headset or microphone, grab a Scan discount code from Groupon and pay less for premium hardware. So whenever you’re next looking for computing essentials – whether it’s for work, leisure or a little bit of both – put your trust in Scan.