LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Court documents say a Las Vegas police officer and his wife are accused of running a months-long credit card fraud scheme that involved buying expensive items and gift cards totaling tens of thousands of dollars, then reporting the charges as fraudulent.
Between May 25 and Aug. 3 of this year, Antonio Chavez and Claudia Guzman-Marquez allegedly used their credit cards to purchase expensive products and gift cards. Chavez, who is charged with multiple felonies, appeared in court alongside his codefendant and wife, Claudia Guzman, who is six months pregnant.
The prosecutor asked the judge to impose a $100,000 cash bail for Chavez.
“He knew better, he knows what the law is, and he knows that he violated the law wilfully because he wanted to enrich himself and his family,” the prosecutor said.
An arrest report says the two allegedly would purchase expensive items or gift cards and then call their credit card companies to report fraud.
Records show Chavez “stated he was eating lunch when someone stole his fanny pack, which contained all his cards.”
On that same day, he is accused of using his credit card to purchase more than $8,000 worth of gift cards.
Criminal defense attorney Sam Bassett said gift cards can make cases harder to untangle.
“It complicates the investigation to have a different kind of payment with a gift card,” Bassett said.
Bassett also said fraud tactics are evolving alongside technology. “AI is permeating communication to try to defraud people,” he said.
In this case, when the defendants called their banks to report fraud, investigators believe those calls were made by AI or someone other than Chavez and Guzman.
Despite what investigators describe as attempts to blame the purchases on other people, surveillance photos and video, witness statements and phone records place Guzman and Chavez at the alleged crime scenes.
“This one is interesting because they used so many different locations and so many different gift card transactions,” Bassett said.
The arrest report lists locations where they are accused of buying, or attempting to buy, items and services, including Louis Vuitton, Southwest, Fashion Island and Olive Garden.
The investigation began after a Town Square security director alerted police about a large purchase of gift cards. That investigation eventually led to Chavez, according to the report.
Bassett said the case may be straightforward to prosecute. “I think most of the counts should be fairly easy to prove,” he said.
Chavez and Guzman are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 8 at 10 a.m.