EAST ST. LOUIS – A 36-year-old Chilean national, Maryorie Fernandez-Ormeno, also known as Guadalupe Maldanado Salinas, is facing multiple federal charges, including conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, after allegedly using a stolen credit card to purchase gift cards at a Sam’s Club in Glen Carbon.
The charges stem from an incident on February 18, 2024, when Fernandez-Ormeno is accused of stealing a credit card from another woman’s purse while shopping at a Schnucks grocery store in Edwardsville. Following the theft, she reportedly used the stolen credit card to buy $2,684.24 in gift cards at Sam’s Club and attempted to make an additional purchase of $2,477.76 at the same location.
Fernandez-Ormeno was previously deported from the United States on October 2, 2023, and now faces a charge for illegal reentry. She was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia. A co-conspirator is also facing charges related to the case.
“Individuals who enter the U.S. illegally and steal from our communities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said in a statement.
Under federal law, the charges against Fernandez-Ormeno carry significant penalties. Convictions for attempted access device fraud and access device fraud can result in up to 10 years in prison, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence.
Conspiracy to commit access device fraud may lead to five years in prison, and illegal reentry after deportation is punishable by up to two years.
The investigation is being conducted by the Edwardsville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard overseeing the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal charge, and Fernandez-Ormeno is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
