Kennewick police arrest 2 tied to elaborate credit card scheme

Kennewick police arrested two Florida men suspected of being involved in an elaborate credit card scheme that stretched across the country.

The investigation began in October when employees at the Target store in Kennewick saw on surveillance video that two men were buying gift cards using multiple credit cards.

Officers traced a description of the men’s car to a Tri-City hotel, where they found more than $35,000 in gift cards and over 60 credit cards in the room of Yordano Bonachea and Gilner Garcia.

Police determined the men, who are Cuban immigrants, had flown to Washington from Florida. They are currently being held at the Benton County jail on suspicion of identity theft.

An investigation allegedly tied the men to a Spokane ring that used “card skimmers” at gas pumps to collect credit card information. The credit card information was then used to buy gift cards and prepaid cards.

One of the skimmers found in Spokane was linked to a credit card seized in Kennewick.

In coordination with the Secret Service, Kennewick police determined that more suspects were identified in the Spokane area but had returned to Florida.

Police believe the suspects take the gift cards back to their home state where they are redeemed.

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Kennewick police arrest 2 tied to elaborate credit card scheme."