Atlantic City Police Charge Five in $12,000 Credit Card Fraud Case Tied to Borgata

Posted on: September 22, 2019, 07:54h. 

Last updated on: September 23, 2019, 10:42h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Atlantic City police have charged five men in connection with an identity theft case that led to nearly $12,000 in fraudulent purchases at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa.

Atlantic City police have charged five men after a three-month investigation uncovered identity theft and credit card fraud valued at nearly $12,000 that took place at the Borgata. (Image: NJ.com)

William Newhart, 41, was charged with identity theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy.

Back in June, detectives in Atlantic City’s Financial Crimes Unit received a tip from casino security about a possible credit card scam. They determined Newhart created a credit card account under the name of a man from Mechanicsburg, Pa., without the victim’s knowledge.

Police allege Newhart used the card to buy 81 gift cards at the New Jersey casino. The cards were worth $11,900.

Newhart then distributed those gift cards to four other men, who were all identified,” the police statement read. “The gift cards were then used at various retail stores and eateries throughout Borgata.”

The casino, which opened in 2003, features 10 restaurants and 10 specialty boutique retail stores.

The Philadelphia man received a summons to appear for a future court appearance, the police department said in a statement.

Others Charged in Case

Besides Newhart, Atlantic City police also charged the following individuals in the case:

Salvatore Tomazzolli, 42, was charged with identity theft, theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy. Tomazzolli is from Tobyhanna, Pa.

Keith Mruzinski, 24, was charged with identity theft, theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy. Mruzinski is from New Brunswick, N.J.

Daniel Glick, 37, was charged with identity theft, theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy.

Edwin Rivera, 43, was charged with identity theft, theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy.

Glick and Rivera are from Atlantic City.

Like Newhart, each of the accused received a summons to appear for a future court appearance.

New Accounts Rising Trend in Identity Theft

The Borgata case is among a trend that’s been developing in identity theft cases in recent years.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 3 million reports of identity theft received by the US Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network. Of those cases, nearly half involved fraud.

The institute also noted since 2015, when credit and debit cards started featuring microchips that made it harder to counterfeit, most of the fraud has focused on the creation of new accounts. That means criminals are using additional personal information besides just the victim’s name.

New Jersey ranked 13th among states, with 125 complaints per 100,000 residents. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, was 21st, with 107 complaints per 100,000 residents.

Nevada ranked second in the country with 104 complaints per 100,000 residents.

One way individuals can prevent credit card fraud based off identity theft is to place a security freeze on their credit reports. According to Javelin Strategies, such freezes keep everyone except current creditors and select government agencies from accessing a person’s credit report.

“Although costs vary per state, typically each bureau charges less than $20,” Javelin Strategies noted in its report. “Should you need to open an account requiring a credit check, the freeze can be lifted through the credit bureaus.”