The scheme involved 25 people and four companies operating in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. The enterprise used credit card skimmers installed at gas pumps to steal data and create cloned cards, Platkin said.
The group used modified vehicles with auxiliary fuel tanks to store and transport tens of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, Platkin said. One such vehicle, an ice cream truck, was used to carry stolen fuel to locations like truck lots in Newark, Platkin said
The enterprise made $3.4 million in profits, with the fraudulent transactions totaling $665,797 between January 2023 and July 2024, Platkin said.
Carlos Alvarez-Moreno was identified as the leader of the scheme, with other high-ranking members directing the operation, including transporting stolen fuel and managing cloned credit cards, Platkin said.
Customers, including trucking companies, used peer-to-peer payment apps and cash to purchase the stolen fuel, Platkin said. One company, Glotrac Builders LLC, paid the enterprise approximately $2.88 million.
The scheme was uncovered in October 2023, following an investigation led by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and Gloucester Township Police Department.
The defendants face charges of first-degree racketeering, among other offenses, Platkin said.
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