FALMOUTH, Maine — Three Florida residents were arrested Saturday — two at the Portland International Jetport — and charged with felony theft, retail theft and forgery.
Police say the men are linked to multiple “cells” stealing credit and debit card information from hundreds of Mainers and using the cards at retail stores in Maine to steal “tens of thousands of dollars.”
Alejandro Caal, 45, of Tampa, Florida, Adrien Teruel, 25, of Orlando, Florida, and Olga Valido, 50, of Kissimmee, Florida, remained at Cumberland County Jail in Portland on Monday, held on $50,000 cash bail each, according to a release from Falmouth Police Lt. John Kilbride.
Each faces charges of Class B felony theft by deception, retail theft and felony forgery, as well as misdemeanor misuse of identification.
A four-month investigation, conducted by Falmouth police, the U.S. Secret Service and other local law enforcement, into credit and debit card information stolen from dozens of residents concluded that the suspects allegedly obtained the information from victims across the state and fraudulently manufactured credit and debit cards, which were then used at retail stores in southern and central Maine, Kilbride said.
The investigation indicated that various “cells” of three to four Florida residents would travel to Maine for three to four days to conduct the criminal activity.
The crimes allegedly took place between September 2016 and Saturday, when Caal and Valido were arrested at the airport without incident. Teruel was arrested the same day in Portland, with the assistance of Portland Police, Kilbride said.
The ongoing investigation could result in additional arrests, he said.