C.F Frost 
A Lexington couple has been arrested in connection with a financial fraud investigation involving the possession and manufacture of credit cards. According to a Lexington Police Department report and Inv. Michael Baker, the Police Department received a report in early October from a victim in Kentucky who reported his credit card information was used at a Lexington convenience store but, the victim still had possession of his credit card. Information was developed that led to the arrest of 22-year-old Serguey Ramirez-Herrera of Lexington a few days later during a traffic stop.
During the arrest, officers located several different gift cards, reward cards and a credit card with a different person’s name on it. With assistance from Department of Homeland Security, it was determined that six of eight credit cards in Ramirez-Herrera’s possession were cloned with different printed information on the cards that were different than the magnetic stripe information and obtained through dark web.
It led to the obtainment of a search warrant for Ramirez-Herrera’s residence where several different pieces of stolen credit card information was located. Some computers and technology to encode stolen financial information onto blank cards was also seized. Investigator Baker says an electronic file was located that contained pieces of stolen credit card information from hundred’s of people.
Both Ramirez-Herrera and his girlfriend, 26-year-old Estefany Ceron-Contreras have been charged with Unlawful Manufacture of a Financial Transaction Device and Identity Theft. Ramirez-Herrera is also charged with Possession of a Financial Transaction Forgery Device, Criminal Possession of Financial Devices Issue to Different Account Holders, Unauthorized Use of a Financial Device and Driving Under Suspension.
On the other hand in McCracken county a man was arrested in connection to a credit card fraud investigation.
Ryan E. Renner, 27, of Marion, Ky., was charged with one count of fraudulent use of a credit card greater than $500 in a six month period.
According to McCracken County deputies, they were contacted by officers of the Marion, Ky. Police Department in reference to a fraudulent use of a stolen credit card.
Detectives learned Renner made charges greater than $1,100 in Paducah on November 10. They say he bought merchandise at area stores including Walmart on Hinkleville Road, Academy Sports, Footlocker, Spencer’s and Burlington Coat Factory on a credit card that had been stolen from a Marion, Ky. home.
According to the sheriff’s department, detectives knew Renner from an investigation in May where he was an occupant in a stolen vehicle that had several thousand dollars of stolen property inside.
They said the property was stolen from unlocked vehicles in the Lone Oak area during the overnight hours of May 9.
He was summoned to court due to COVID-19 restrictions for receiving stolen property over $500. Since that time, deputies say Renner has been arrested multiple times for offenses including theft, domestic violence, violating a Kentucky emergency protective order and now fraudulent use of a credit card.
He was served a McCracken County warrant on Monday, Nov. 30 at the Crittenden County Jail for his new McCracken County charges.
