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Sarasota News Leader August 9 & 16, 2013 Page 82 TWO ARRESTED AFTER FLYING INTO FLORIDA TO COMMIT FRAUD The Sarasota County Sheriff's office has arrested two people from New York who flew to Florida on Aug. 6 "solely to commit widespread fraud throughout the state," a news release says. in Bradenton, with the assistance of the Bradenton Police Department, led to the discovery of the cloning machine, a computer, a thumb drive with stolen credit card numbers and more credit cards, the release adds. Walmart loss prevention personnel contacted deputies on the night of Aug. 6 "to report that the suspicious pair tried to buy gift cards at the North Port store and then the Cattlemen Road location but left when they were asked for identification," the release says. The Tactical Unit responded and found the suspects in a rental vehicle at Burlington Coat Factory in Sarasota, it adds. As of Aug. 7, both Graisy Pichardo, 22, and Myles Nicholas, 26, had been charged with Trafficking in Counterfeit Credit Cards, two counts of Grand Theft, one count of Petit Theft and three counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card. Two suspects were arrested on Aug. 6 with more than 50 credit cards they allegedly had cloned. Photo courtesy of the Sheriff's Office Gift cards with a combined value of about $3,000 were recovered from two suspects arrested on Aug. 6. Photo courtesy of the Sheriff's Office Detectives are continuing the investigation locally and with a number of other jurisdictions, the release continues. Additional charges, inDuring the investigation, deputies learned the pair allegedly had used cloned credit cards cluding multiple counts of Identity Theft, are to buy gift cards at more than a half-dozen pending. stores on Aug. 6 along the west coast, from "This investigation and quick apprehension Zephyrhills to Port Charlotte, the release con- of the suspects was possible because of the tinues. More than 50 credit cards and approx- public-private partnership the Sarasota Counimately $3,000 worth of gift cards were found ty Sheriff's Office has developed with national in the car, the release says. retailers and their local loss prevention offiOn Aug. 7, a search of the suspects' room at cers in an ongoing effort to stop retail theft the Courtyard by Marriott on Riverfront Drive and fraud," the release points out.