George Santos masterminded 2017 ATM fraud, former roommate tells feds

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Politico

“Santos taught me how to skim card information and how to clone cards,” Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha, who was convicted of felony access device fraud, said Wednesday in a sworn declaration submitted to the FBI.



State, federal and Brazilian authorities are also probing Rep. George Santos related to a string of potential financial crimes. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

By JACQUELINE SWEET

03/09/2023 05:49 PM EST

NEW YORK – Rep. George Santos orchestrated a 2017 credit card skimming operation in Seattle, the man who was convicted of the fraud and deported to Brazil said in a sworn declaration submitted to federal authorities Wednesday.

“I am coming forward today to declare that the person in charge of the crime of credit card fraud when I was arrested was George Santos / Anthony Devolder,” Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha wrote in the declaration. It was sent by express mail and email to the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service New York office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, according to a copy of the receipt from the United States Postal Service.

. . .

He was previously questioned about the Seattle scheme by investigators for the U.S. Secret Service, CBS News has reported. He was never charged, but the investigation remains open. Santos also told an attorney friend he was “an informant” in the fraud case. Trelha insists he was its mastermind.

“Santos taught me how to skim card information and how to clone cards. He gave me all the materials and taught me how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATM machines,” Trelha said in the declaration that was submitted to authorities by his New York attorney, Mark Demetropoulos. POLITICO obtained a copy of the declaration.


Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/09/santos-masterminded-atm-fraud-feds-00086417

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I was wondering when Santos would resurface

[Captain Stern]

2. "George Santos masterminded"

Now, there's three words you don't see typed in a row very often.

[dalton99a]

3. A Congressman that New Yorkers can be proud of and trust

[machoneman]

4. Arrest him b/4 any trial, then turn him over to Brazilian authorites and fly him there.

I don't think he'll be well treated in their jails.

Btw, I asked long ago, is he an American citizen? See, if he lied (hah!) about any past legal issues while in Brazil (theft, wire fraud, cc cloning etc.) when he applied for citizenship, I'm pretty sure his citizenship can be revoked.

[dalton99a]

5. +1

[tanyev]

6. GOP lawmakers and staff better keep their hands on their wallets anytime Santos is around.

[Ford_Prefect]

7. This could get a bit sticky for our favorite GOP fantasy character...A Spell of Confusion card he'll

need IMO.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

9. Or The Force (nt)

[SouthBayDem]

8. There needs to be a George Santos AI story generator at this point.

What kind of crime would NOT be far fetched to attribute to him? He’s a living display of “Chuck Norris facts”.

[republianmushroom]

10. Damn, old George has been a busy boy.

[jmowreader]

11. We are rapidly approaching the point...

…where IOKIYAR doesn’t apply to this young Republican.

Dear dead Cthulhu, PLEASE don’t tell me Kevin McCarthy is so desperate to maintain his coalition he’s willing to let common criminals remain in it.

[ShazzieB]

12. I agree that IOKIYAR no longer applies to Devolder/Santos.

I've lost count of how many different entities are investigating him for one thing or another, but iirc, it's a pretty long list. I've been assuming something was bound to cone home to roost in the not too distant future, because even cats don't have that many lives.

I also doubt that this will be the last thing that surfaces in the long, strange career of George Anthony Devolder Santos.