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Yosvel Gonzalez, 51, and Reinier Gracia-Martinez, 40, both of Elizabeth, NJ, along with Rudislandy Gracia-Toledo, 24, of North Bergen, NJ, are accused of installing hidden card skimmers at a gas station in the 1700 block of Hempstead Road in East Lampeter Township, then using stolen data to make thousands of dollars in purchases, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Each man is charged with more than two dozen offenses, including:
- Felony Corrupt Organizations.
- Felony Dealing In Proceeds Of Unlawful Activities.
- Felony Organized Retail Theft.
- Felony Access Device Fraud.
- Misdemeanor Possession Of Instruments Of Crime.
- Felony Criminal Use Of A Communication Facility.
Judge John Bender ruled on Wednesday, May 29, that the cases will proceed to the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Gracia-Martinez and Gracia-Toledo are not legally residing in the U.S. Gonzalez is a legal resident but is subject to removal if convicted of a felony.
The investigation began in September 2024, when a victim contacted police after seeing suspicious charges on a credit card used only to purchase fuel. Days later, after receiving a replacement card, the same victim reported more unauthorized charges, according to Sgt. Jacob Bingham of the Lancaster City Bureau of Police.
Police examined the gas station’s point-of-sale systems and found two Bluetooth-enabled skimming devices hidden inside the pumps. Bingham testified that the suspects used the stolen data to load “vanilla” Visa cards and make purchases that mimicked normal card usage.
Assistant District Attorney Chris Miller said detectives used timestamps and locations of the fraudulent purchases to obtain surveillance footage. The men were seen swiping multiple cards while buying hundreds of dollars’ worth of diesel fuel, often pumped into large aftermarket tanks not typically found on standard vehicles.
Investigators identified around $17,000 in fraudulent transactions connected to at least two dozen victims. Authorities believe the actual number of victims and amount stolen is much higher. Up to 10 additional suspects involved in the scheme remain unidentified.
All three defendants are being held in Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including Pennsylvania State Police, Susquehanna Regional Police, Manor Township Police, Manheim Township Police, East Hempfield Police, Bethel Township Police, Elizabeth (NJ) Police, and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.
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