Deputies have arrested a man for buying thousands of dollars of fuel with more than a dozen fraudulent gift cards.
On August 15, 2023, at 8:07 p.m., HCSO was called out to the Travelers America Truck Stop located at 11706 Tampa Gateway Boulevard in Seffner for possible fraud in progress. When deputies arrived, they contacted Rainer Cabrera, 36, as he pumped fuel into a white semi-truck.Determining probable cause, deputies found 16 suspected fraudulent gift cards concealed underneath the floorboards. They also noticed the truck's fuel tanks had "quick drain" valves. During the investigation, it was determined that Cabrera had traveled to the car stop four times over 24 hours and used the fraudulent gift cards to receive several hundreds of gallons of diesel valued at $6,000.
"These con men who use deceptive means to steal fuel, hoping to earn a quick buck at the expense of others, will soon find out that we'll put the brakes on their criminal activity," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "I commend the citizens who saw something wasn't right and said something to our 911 Communications Center."
Rainer Alfonso Cabrera is facing charges of Counterfeiting Payment Instrument, Organized Fraud less than $20,000, Grand Theft Third Degree (x2), Fraudulent Use of Credit Card More than Twice, Possession of Counterfeit Credit Cards, and Possession of Stolen Credit Card.
This is still an active investigation. Any updates will come from the Public Affairs Office.
