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Cape man pleads guilty to fraud, identity theft charges

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A Cape Coral man pleaded guilty last week in federal court to fraud and identity theft charges.

Edrey Santo Rojas, 31, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of access device credit card fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. He will be sentenced on Dec. 5 before U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell.

He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the credit card fraud charge and a consecutive term of two years for each aggravated identity theft conviction, officials reported.

Santo Rojas will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

Assistant U.S. Public Defender George Ellis Summers Jr. is representing him.

He did not return a message on Tuesday seeking comment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Lazarus is prosecuting the case.

“We don’t wish to comment at this time,” Amy Filjones, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, said Tuesday.

According to his plea agreement, Santo Rojas used unauthorized credit card information at various retail establishments between December 2014 and August 2015. He also used three counterfeit and unauthorized access devices with account numbers from both financial institutions and individuals.

Santo Rojas was originally indicted on one count each of access device credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft, along with one count of possession of a credit card skimming device.

He reportedly faced up to an additional 15 years in prison for the possession charge.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment against him in December, officials reported. At the time, the jury also returned an indictment against Henry Alberto Fernandez Gomez, 30, also of the Cape.

On Aug. 16, Gomez was sentenced to three years in prison for access device credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. He was also ordered to repay approximately $8,070 in restitution to his victims and an extra $8,070 to the United States – the proceeds he received from the offenses.

According to court documents, Gomez used stolen and unauthorized credit card information to make 27 purchases at retail establishments throughout the state between December 2014 and April 2015. On one occasion, he used the stolen credit card information to buy furniture worth approximately $3,500.

Gomez also used another person’s means of identification to make a purchase at a liquor store.

He pleaded guilty in April to the two counts in accordance with a plea agreement.

Both cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit and Cape Coral Police Department.

Gomez’s case was also prosecuted by Lazarus.