Man summoned for several credit card fraud charges in Rio Rancho

Edward Herrera, about 64, of Albuquerque, was summoned Jan. 11 for dealing in credit cards of another, five counts of obtaining identity by electronic fraud and five counts of fraudulent use of an illegally obtained credit card in Rio Rancho.

In early December, a man went to the Rio Rancho Police Department to report fraudulent use of credit cards in his name. He said he went to Schlotzsky’s Dec. 14 and used a credit card to pay for the food. When he got home, however, he couldn’t find the card. He told police he thought the card was never returned to him at the drive-thru. He said he called the sandwich shop and an employee said the card was not there.

He said he then went online to deactivate the card and found that the card had been used several times without his permission with transaction totaling more than $600. He deactivated the card and called the company to let them know about the transactions. The company started a fraud investigation.

Officers went to all the stores the credit card had been used at, including Schlotzsky’s. The Schlotzsky’s manager told police they viewed the video footage of the victim and the cashier during the victim’s visit. The manager insisted the card was given back to the victim.

The investigating officers were able to identify the man as Herrera based on footage from the videos at each store and contacted him. Herrera admitted to all the purchases, and police summoned him shortly after.

If Herrera is convicted, he could face 10-30 years in prison.