Two Defendants Sentenced in Credit Card Scheme

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that David Pierleoni, 26, of Rochester, New York, and Cassandra N. Dehn, 27, of Willard, Missouri, who were convicted of offenses related to a wire fraud conspiracy were sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. Pierleoni, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 42 months in prison. Dehn, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to three years’ probation. Both defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $22,808.71.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that the defendants, along with a third co-defendant, Victor Ortiz, conspired to obtain credit card information, including numbers, access codes, and expiration dates, that was then used to make fraudulent purchases in Rochester. Defendant Dehn, an employee of a Comfort Inn and Suites hotel in Willard, Missouri, obtained personal credit card information of guests from the hotel’s computer system, which she then transmitted to co-defendant Pierleoni in exchange for $100. Pierleoni and Ortiz then used the information from Dehn to make unlawful purchases of high end liquor and food at Rochester businesses. The defendants knew that the credit card numbers had been assigned to other people and that they were not authorized to make purchases with the numbers. As a result of the fraudulent purchases, the local businesses incurred losses in excess of $20,000.

Defendant Ortiz was sentenced by Judge Larimer in January to 60 months in prison, and he was also ordered to pay $22,808.71 in restitution.

The sentencings are the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge Christopher M. Piehota, and members of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn.