Duo arrested for fraud in RR

RIO RANCHO — An Albuquerque couple was arrested for fraud in Rio Rancho.

Angelo Dennshinnateano, 36, of Albuquerque, and Krysta Ramey, 33, of Albuquerque, were arrested Feb. 12 for a fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud as well as stolen credit card use that occurred Dec. 30 at a home on 33rd Circle.

Police were called to the residence for criminal damage and a possible attempted burglary, according to a criminal complaint. 

The homeowner reported that an unknown man arrived at their residence and told them he lived in the residence behind theirs and was a relative of someone who lived there. According to the narrative, he told the homeowner he had been on his roof and saw multiple people jump their fence and attempt to break into the residence. He showed the homeowner a hole in a window screen at the back of the home, stating the suspects had created the hole while attempting to gain entry.

The man allegedly offered to assist the homeowner in checking the remainder of the windows on the residence. He asked her to retrieve a screwdriver so he could further inspect a window. They left him alone inside the residence on multiple occasions, the complaint states.

When they returned, they caught the man holding a jewelry box and told him not to touch it. He set it down. He then told the homeowner that he had photos of the suspects and said he would return with the images. He allegedly left the residence and did not return.

The homeowner discovered later that their credit cards were missing from their wallet, which had been on the dining room table and the homeowner insisted that's where they last saw them.

During the incident, their front door and garage door were open.

The homeowner received fraud alerts indicating their card was used at the Unser Boulevard Walmart for a transaction equaling $507.84. There was a confirmed transaction for the same amount at the same Walmart on a different card. Both transactions were purchases of gift cards.

The damage to the homeowner's window screen was not consistent with normal wear and tear, according to the complaint. The homeowner told police the screens were new and estimated the damage at approximately $100.00.

Surveillance footage and transaction records showed a heavyset woman wearing a black Lobo sweater and a medical mask purchasing two gift cards valued at $507.84 each using the stolen credit cards. She exited the store and entered a blue truck displaying a Colorado license plate.

Walmart employees told police that the same vehicle had been involved in prior fraud investigations at Walmart locations in Santa Fe and Albuquerque within the past several months. Still images from those cases appeared consistent with the suspects involved in this incident, police note in the complaint.

Officers discovered they had previously pulled the truck over in 2024. The driver was identified as Dennshinnateano, whose physical characteristics were consistent with the description of the man who entered the homeowner's residence.

The homeowner could not positively identify Dennshinnateano in a photo array.

Then on Jan. 9, police pulled over the same truck at Paseo Del Vulcan and Broadmoor. The driver was Dennshinnateano and the passenger was Ramey.

When confronted with the fraud, Dennshinnateano denied knowledge of the incident, provided a phone number later determined not to belong to him, and agreed to meet with police at the department on Jan. 12. He failed to appear for the scheduled interview, it states in the complaint.

Police were able to interview Ramey Jan. 12. During the conversation, she told police she remembered going to Walmart and said, "he sent me in with stolen cards," referring to Dennshinnateano.

The fraudulent transactions occurred approximately 18 minutes after Dennshinnateano left the homeowner's residence. A city owned camera detected his blue truck driving westbound on Southern Blvd Dec. 30. Police note that this shows that Dennshinnateano was coming from the residence and going in the direction of Wal-Mart.

The homeowner said they would not have allowed the male into the residence but for his claim that suspects were attempting to burglarize her home.

Dennshinnateano and Ramey could each face anywhere from six months to nine years in prison if they are convicted.