Man Convicted in Credit Card Fraud
A federal court jury on Tuesday convicted a San Pedro man who was accused of using proceeds from a massive credit card scam to buy luxury cars and pay his way through law school.
Christian Ehlers, a 2001 graduate of Loyola Law School, was found guilty of 21 counts of fraud and conspiracy after a weeklong trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Ehlers, 29, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody immediately after the verdict was returned. He faces 37 to 46 months in prison when he is sentenced in February.
Two of his friends, Mark Sandoro, 43, and Alex Mascola, 30, pleaded guilty before the trial.
Prosecutors said the three obtained hundreds of bank credit cards using phony names and Social Security numbers, and ran them through stolen point-of-sale machines, which retailers use to “swipe” customer cards.
American Express, Citibank, Discover Card, First USA, Household Bank and Provider Bank lost more than $1.4 million from the scam, according to trial testimony.
Ehlers’ lawyer contended that the other two defendants duped his client.
According to state bar records, Ehlers was admitted to the practice of law in California in November 2001.
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