Man under arrest for possession of cloned credit cards

Published: Updated:
MGN Online

leonatkinsonmug

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- A Miami man’s shopping spree has come to an abrupt end.

29-year-old Leon Atkinson is charged with multiple counts of possession and and trafficking in cloned credit cards.

Monday, officials conducted a traffic stop on I-75 near mile marker 145 southbound in North Fort Myers. A 2014 Chrysler 4-door vehicle was stopped for speeding.

During the stop, officials discovered Atkinson was traveling to the Miami area from an unknown location in Tampa. Detectives say they could smell an odor of marijuana and a K9 Unit also alerted to a presence of marijuana in the vehicle. During a search of the car, a large amount of credit cards were found scattered inside.

Upon checking the authenticity of the cards, authorities determined them to be counterfeit and cloned. The credit cards contained the information of unsuspecting victims of identity theft who had their accounts compromised from a skimming device. The cloned credit cards and associated account number had an approximate potential loss value of $170,000.

Atkinson was arrested and transported to the Lee County Jail. He is being held without bond.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.