NORTH TONAWANDA MAN SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR STOLEN CARD GAS FRAUD SCHEME

A North Tonawanda man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a coordinated fraud scheme that converted stolen bank card data into cash-equivalent fuel purchases, exploiting victims’ accounts while operating beneath the radar of everyday retail activity.

Kingsley Brown, 23, of North Tonawanda, New York, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr., following Brown’s guilty plea.

According to court records, the scheme operated over an extended period, beginning in August 2022 and continuing through July 2023. Brown worked alongside co-defendant Cross Malik Williams in acquiring stolen bank card information at scale. Investigators determined that the pair purchased approximately 570 compromised bank card records from multiple online marketplaces known to traffic in stolen financial data.

Once acquired, the stolen banking information was not used directly online. Instead, Brown and Williams employed a card-encoding device to transfer the stolen data onto blank plastic cards equipped with magnetic strips. This step allowed the fraudulent cards to function like legitimate bank cards at physical point-of-sale terminals, significantly reducing detection risk during in-person transactions.

The operation focused heavily on fuel purchases. Brown and Williams used the cloned cards themselves and also supplied access to others, allowing third parties to purchase gasoline using stolen funds. Customers were charged a discounted cash price, paying less than the retail cost of the fuel while Brown and Williams pocketed the difference. This method allowed the scheme to move large sums in small increments, dispersing fraudulent activity across multiple transactions and locations.

As part of his plea agreement, Brown acknowledged responsibility for $192,673 in total losses tied to the scheme. The financial harm was borne by individual account holders and the banking institutions that ultimately absorbed the fraudulent charges.

Co-defendant Cross Malik Williams was previously convicted and sentenced in connection with the same conspiracy.

Federal authorities identified the scheme following a broader investigation into card fraud and illicit online marketplaces. The case underscores how traditional magnetic stripe technology, combined with readily available encoding devices, continues to be exploited despite advances in chip-based payment security.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of the agency’s Buffalo Field Office. Federal prosecutors emphasized that fuel-based fraud schemes remain attractive to criminal groups due to their repeatability, lower immediate scrutiny, and ease of monetization.

Brown will serve his sentence in federal custody. Additional penalties and supervision conditions were imposed as part of the judgment.

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