FALMOUTH — After a lengthy investigation into the theft of information from dozens of credit and debit cards, the Falmouth Police Department arrested three individuals from Florida this past weekend and charged them with several felonies.

According to Lt. John Kilbride, Adrien Teruel, 25, of Orlando; Olga Valid, 50, of Kissimmee; and Alejandro Caal, 45, of Tampa have been charged with theft by deception, forgery and organized retail theft, as well as a misdemeanor charge of misuse of identification. Each is being held on $50,000 cash bail at the Cumberland County Jail.

Kilbride said his department conducted a four-month review into the theft of credit and debit card information from dozens of Falmouth residents. The suspects stole the credit and debit card information and then manufactured fraudulent cards that were used at retail stores from southern to central Maine, he said.

“This widespread fraudulent activity resulted in a financial loss of tens of thousands of dollars,” Kilbride said. He said the investigation disclosed the existence of various cells, usually consisting of three to four people operating from Florida, who would come to Maine for three or four days at a time to conduct their spending sprees.

Falmouth Police arrested two of the three suspects at the Portland International Jetport and one in the city on March 11, Kilbride said. 

Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 710-2336 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KirishCollins.

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