A Cleveland man will spend more than six years in federal prison for heading up a scheme to make fraudulent purchases from numerous Ohio and Pennsylvania jewelry stores, including about $20,000 in Aurora.

Hasan J. Howard Jr., 23, was sentenced to 74 months in prison in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on Wednesday, according to court records. He has also been ordered to pay more than $260,000 in restitution.

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In a media release issued Thursday, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio said the scheme involved purchasing stolen credit and debit card information on the "dark web." Howard specifically was accused of using the information to create fraudulent cards, which he then gave to several other individuals he recruited.

Howard and the others then used the cards to purchase expensive items and services from approximately 30 stores in Ohio — including in Cuyahoga County, Akron and Canton — as well as in Pennsylvania. Howard would then often sell the items for his benefit and to pay the others.

Howard and another Cleveland man, Jaelen D. Lattimore, 23, were arrested on May 20, 2021 after making purchases totaling about $20,000 at the Kay and Zales jewelry stores at Aurora Farms Premium Outlets on South Chillicothe Road in Aurora. At the time of their arrest, they were found with three Rolex watches, a credit card embossing machine and a .38-caliber pistol in their possession

According to Portage County court records, Aurora police initially filed felony theft and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle charges in Portage County Municipal Court in Kent against Howard and Lattimore. A grand jury indicted them that same month on charges of grand theft, receiving stolen property, possession of criminal tools and improper handling.

County prosecutors dropped the charges in July 2021 after both men were indicted on federal charges.

Howard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft in March. Lattimore and two other men also pleaded guilty in March and are awaiting sentencing.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said the the investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland office and the Avon, Westlake, Aurora and Cleveland police departments.

Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Man sentenced for defrauding jewelry stores in Aurora and elsewhere

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