Federal prosecutors say a Western New York man will spend a year in prison for using stolen credit card numbers to buy tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gas.
Kingsley Brown, 23, of North Tonawanda received a 12-month prison sentence after a conviction for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
Prosecutors said the scheme ran from August 2022 through July 2023 and involved hundreds of stolen bank cards. Brown worked with co-defendant Cross Malik Williams, who prosecutors said bought about 570 stolen card numbers from online marketplaces.
How the scheme worked
Investigators said the pair used a card-making device to load stolen banking information onto blank plastic cards with magnetic strips. That allowed them to make purchases directly from victims’ bank accounts.
Prosecutors said Brown and Williams then used the cards, or let others use them, to buy gasoline for customers. Those customers paid Brown or Williams less than the actual cost of the gas, creating profit while draining victims’ accounts.
As part of his plea agreement, Brown agreed he was responsible for $192,673 in total losses tied to the fraud.
Co-defendant already sentenced
Williams was previously convicted and sentenced in the case, prosecutors said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly handled the prosecution.
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