SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to access device fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores. Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.
Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles is prosecuting the case.
Butler is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge John A. Mendez on March 27, 2018. Butler faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
--DOJ Eastern District of California