Report: George Santos arranged credit card skimming scheme
Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens) shown in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 25. Credit: TNS/Anna Moneymaker
WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos (R-Queens/Nassau) organized a credit card skimming operation in Seattle in 2017, according to a sworn affidavit sent to federal authorities by a former friend charged in connection with the scheme, Politico reported.
According to the Politico story, Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha asserts in the March 7 affidavit that Santos trained him to steal credit card information through skimming devices attached to ATM machines.
Santos said he was “innocent” when reporters asked him about the Politico story Friday.
Santos said he, “never did anything of criminal activity, and I have no mastermind event.”
Trelha, a Brazilian native who was charged in the 2017 skimming operation and deported to Brazil after his conviction, sent his sworn statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Secret Service, Politico reported.
“Santos taught me how to skim card information and how to clone cards,” Trelha asserted in the affidavit. “He gave me all the materials and taught me how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATM machines.”
Trelha transmitted the affidavit via Mark Demetropoulos, a corporate attorney who in a letter to authorities listed an office number belonging to the Mineola-based law firm Lally & Misir.
The firm was co-founded by Grant Lally, a former Republican congressional candidate who also serves as publisher of the North Shore Leader, a local news outlet
The Leader had had raised questions about Santos’ claims of wealth before the 2022 congressional election, in which he beat Democrat Robert Zimmerman.
Demetropoulos did not return calls and text messages by Newsday Friday, seeking comment and copies of Trelha's statement.
Santos’ attorney Joe Murray told Newsday Friday he had reached out to Demetropoulos but his calls have not been returned.
Santos' campaign finance activity is the subject of state and federal investigations after he admitted fabricating key parts of his biography, including his religion, education and work history.
According to a previous report in Politico, Santos testified on Trelha's behalf in a 2017 court hearing in Seattle, calling him a “family friend.”
Santos told reporters Friday that as part of the probe of Trelha, “I cooperated with Secret Service, FBI, everybody that asked for my help. Got information for them. Got everybody arrested and deported.”
CBS News has reported that Santos was questioned by investigators in the 2017 skimming scheme, but never was charged.
Prosecutors in Washington State said during Trelha’s 2017 trial that they had evidence he compromised 300 credit card accounts by installing skimming devices on ATM machines during a three-day period in Seattle, according to court transcripts obtained by CBS News.
Politico reported that Trelha in his March 7 affidavit he “learned" from Santos how to clone ATM and credit cards.
Santos, Trelha said, “had a lot of material — parts, printers, blank ATM and credit cards to be painted and engraved with stolen account and personal information.”
Trelha alleges in his statement that Santos flew him to Seattle “where I started working to steal credit card information from ATM terminals.”
“My deal with Santos was 50% for him and 50% for me,” Trelha wrote.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, said in an email to Newsday he could “confirm only that the agency has received the correspondence and affidavit referenced.”
A spokesman for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trelha said in his affidavit he did not report Santos earlier because Santos “threatened” his friends.
WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos (R-Queens/Nassau) organized a credit card skimming operation in Seattle in 2017, according to a sworn affidavit sent to federal authorities by a former friend charged in connection with the scheme, Politico reported.
According to the Politico story, Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha asserts in the March 7 affidavit that Santos trained him to steal credit card information through skimming devices attached to ATM machines.
Santos said he was “innocent” when reporters asked him about the Politico story Friday.
Santos said he, “never did anything of criminal activity, and I have no mastermind event.”
Trelha, a Brazilian native who was charged in the 2017 skimming operation and deported to Brazil after his conviction, sent his sworn statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Secret Service, Politico reported.
“Santos taught me how to skim card information and how to clone cards,” Trelha asserted in the affidavit. “He gave me all the materials and taught me how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATM machines.”
Trelha transmitted the affidavit via Mark Demetropoulos, a corporate attorney who in a letter to authorities listed an office number belonging to the Mineola-based law firm Lally & Misir.
The firm was co-founded by Grant Lally, a former Republican congressional candidate who also serves as publisher of the North Shore Leader, a local news outlet
The Leader had had raised questions about Santos’ claims of wealth before the 2022 congressional election, in which he beat Democrat Robert Zimmerman.
Demetropoulos did not return calls and text messages by Newsday Friday, seeking comment and copies of Trelha's statement.
Santos’ attorney Joe Murray told Newsday Friday he had reached out to Demetropoulos but his calls have not been returned.
Santos' campaign finance activity is the subject of state and federal investigations after he admitted fabricating key parts of his biography, including his religion, education and work history.
According to a previous report in Politico, Santos testified on Trelha's behalf in a 2017 court hearing in Seattle, calling him a “family friend.”
Santos told reporters Friday that as part of the probe of Trelha, “I cooperated with Secret Service, FBI, everybody that asked for my help. Got information for them. Got everybody arrested and deported.”
CBS News has reported that Santos was questioned by investigators in the 2017 skimming scheme, but never was charged.
Prosecutors in Washington State said during Trelha’s 2017 trial that they had evidence he compromised 300 credit card accounts by installing skimming devices on ATM machines during a three-day period in Seattle, according to court transcripts obtained by CBS News.
Politico reported that Trelha in his March 7 affidavit he “learned" from Santos how to clone ATM and credit cards.
Santos, Trelha said, “had a lot of material — parts, printers, blank ATM and credit cards to be painted and engraved with stolen account and personal information.”
Trelha alleges in his statement that Santos flew him to Seattle “where I started working to steal credit card information from ATM terminals.”
“My deal with Santos was 50% for him and 50% for me,” Trelha wrote.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service, said in an email to Newsday he could “confirm only that the agency has received the correspondence and affidavit referenced.”
A spokesman for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trelha said in his affidavit he did not report Santos earlier because Santos “threatened” his friends.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
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