In New Haven, Connecticut, two leaders of a credit card fraud scheme were apprehended and sentenced to prison. The scheme that occurred between 2014 and September 2015 consisted of nearly $180,000 in fraudulent purchases at stores in several states.

According to the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, the head of the group, Mei Bao Lu, age 31, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $179,000 in restitution. The second leader, Yang-Shi Lin, age 31, was sentenced to one year in prison. Both men are from Flushing, New York.

Prosecutors claim the men engaged in the distribution of 120 counterfeit credit cards that were made with stolen information. They supplied the credit cards to other members of their group who used the cards to make fraudulent purchases in a number of states, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maine, West Virginia and Massachusetts.

The group targeted high-end retailers on the East Coast. Lu instructed members of the group to buy gift cards and luxury products with the counterfeit cards, and he subsequently sold the products at a discount.

The investigation began in Connecticut in February 2015, when people reported unauthorized transactions on their debit and credit cards. The investigation reveled that many of the victims dined at the same restaurant in Connecticut.

If you are facing credit card fraud charges, call the criminal defense attorneys at Brill Legal Group. They will examine the details of your case, and help you decide whether the charges could be dismissed or mitigated, or if they can secure an acceptable plea bargain.