Full Notification

(Harris County, TX) HCSO Investigators and US Postal Inspectors have charge three suspects in a complicated and extended credit card app fraud.

Starting in early 2014, Harris County Sheriff's Office Financial Crimes Investigators and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began a joint investigation of a group involved in "fraud app" credit cards where credit cards were applied for with out the victims consent , mailed to the victim, and stolen out of their mail box.

The investigation began with a report from Capital One Credit company to the HCSO detailing fraud app credit cards being processed through multiple square merchants as well as several businesses.

Two businesses were used to process the credit cards for large unusual amounts, and then able to generate cash from the fraud apps.

Those businesses were identified as Lace Warehouse and African Fashions owned by Maxwell Ezenwa and Lagos Island Café , owned by Christy Tifase.

The loss sustained to the victim parties in this case exceeded $500,000 and dozens of identities were stolen.

Maxwell Ezwena was arrested previously in this case for fraudulent use of identifying information , although he will now face engaging in organized criminal activity.

On August 10,2016, investigators arrested Shalewa Olayinka, on a warrant for engaging in organized criminal activity .

Investigators found numerous fraudulent credit cards in his wallet upon arrest.

Christy Tifase has an open warrant for engaging in organized criminal activity and is expected to surrender to authorities.