Friday, August 01, 2003

By Torsten Ove, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

A suspicious golf-shop manager in Ross helped police nab a couple of suspected identity thieves from Miami who were using fake credit cards to buy merchandise.

According to a federal indictment, Jefferson Ferrao, 25, and Sandra Vea, 41, who live together in Miami, are charged with skimming credit card numbers at Disney World in Florida to produce counterfeit cards for use in the Pittsburgh region.

A search of their car after they were arrested last month turned up 63 fake credit cards and merchandise bought with them, including a set of golf clubs from the 2nd Swing shop in Ross.

According to a federal affidavit, the case began July 1 when Ferrao, using the name Juan Perez, used an American Express card to buy a set of clubs at the 2nd Swing store in Ross Towne Center.

Shop manager Jason Allen said the first card wouldn't swipe, so Ferrao produced another. When that one wouldn't swipe, either, Allen punched in the number manually and sold the clubs.

But he was suspicious, so he called another 2nd Swing shop in North Fayette to ask if any Hispanic men had recently bought golf clubs. One had, earlier that day.

Allen spotted Ferrao's car in the parking lot outside of other stores nearby and wrote down the license number, then called police.

Patrolman Donald Dreier arrived as Ferrao, with Vea next to him, was pulling out. He stopped the car. Both had international driver's licenses from Barcelona, Spain, in the names of Juan Perez and Maria Manso.

According to the affidavit, Ferrao initially said he paid cash for the golf clubs, but when Allen confronted him he said he had used a Visa card. That was a lie, too, because Ferrao had used an American Express card.

Dreier arrested Ferrao and Vea and searched the car. The 63 credit cards he found were in the names of Perez, Manso and a third person.

American Express later found that the names did not match with the names of the credit card account holders and determined that the numbers had been stolen at Disney World in June.

According to the affidavit, the suspects also admitted to an immigration agent that Ferrao and Vea were their real names.

Both were indicted in U.S. District Court on charges of conspiracy and possession of 15 or more counterfeit credit cards.

Ferrao is being held in the Allegheny County Jail. Vea was released on bond on the condition that she remain in Florida until a court date is set here.

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