Man sells counterfeit debit cards — but the buyer was an undercover trooper, feds say

A Pennsylvania man sold counterfeit debit cards with stolen account information — but the buyer was an undercover state trooper, according to federal authorities.

Now, the 37-year-old man from York has been sentenced to a year in prison, records show. He previously pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.

The defense attorney representing the man told McClatchy News he will self-surrender in December.

He said his client “accepted full responsibility for his bad decisions in this case” and “is grateful to put this behind him and move forward.”

Authorities said the counterfeit debit cards contained bank account information and pin numbers encoded on the magnetic strips.

“Investigators determined that the account information was likely stolen from a single gas station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” according to an Oct. 17 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “In all, the scheme included 82 debit cards containing stolen identification information from consumers.”

The scheme lasted from about March 2017 to December 2017, prosecutors said.

Following his year in prison, the man will spend one year on supervised release, according to court records. He also must pay a $400 fine.

York is about 100 miles west of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 7:43 AM with the headline "Man sells counterfeit debit cards — but the buyer was an undercover trooper, feds say."