Three New Yorkers Arrested on Credit Card Fraud

The Westport Police Department arrested three New Yorkers on charges of credit card fraud Thursday after a Westport merchant called the department reporting subjects in the store using an invalid credit card.

The merchant told police that they had been called by other area merchants on Thursday reporting that they had the same subjects in their stores using invalid credit cards. The merchant remained on the phone with police and provided a description of the suspects and the suspect vehicle.

Westport Police patrol officers and detectives responded to the area and set up a perimeter. When the subjects left the store they were stopped and identified as Giselle Gonzalez, 23, of Woodside, N.Y., Vipul Patel, 25, of Flushing, N.Y, and Sabi Randhawa, 36 of New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Subsequent investigation of the suspects and the contents of their vehicle indicated that the suspects were involved in an organized credit card fraud and identity theft operation. The suspects have been identified as attempting the fraud in a total of five Westport establishments. Among the items recovered from the vehicle were fraudulent credit cards, credit card statements and a credit card reader.

The following suspects were arrested:

Giselle Gonzalez age 23, Woodside, NY

Conspiracy to commit unlawful completion or reproduction of credit card 53a-48(53a-128f) 8 counts

Conspiracy to commit larceny 5th degree 53a-48 (53a-125a)

Illegal use of scanning device 53-388

Unlawful completion or reproduction of credit card 53a-128f 2 counts

Larceny 5th degree 53a-125a

Bond is set at $1000/Court date Aug.  9, 2010

Vipul R. Patel age 25, Flushing, NY

Conspiracy to commit unlawful completion or reproduction of credit card 53a-48(53a-128f) 7 counts

Conspiracy to commit larceny 5th degree 53a-48 (53a-125a)

Illegal use of scanning device 53-388

Unlawful completion or reproduction of credit card 53a-128f 3 counts

Larceny 5th degree 53a-125a

Bond 25,000/Court date Aug. 9, 2010

Sabi Randhawa age 36, New Hyde Park, NY

Conspiracy to commit larceny 5th degree 53a-48 (53a-125a)

Illegal use of scanning device 53-388

Unlawful completion or reproduction of credit card 53a-128f  10 counts

Larceny 5th degree 53a-125a

Bond 50,000/Court date Aug. 9, 2010

The Westport Police Department Detective Bureau will be continuing the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service.