PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – U.S. Marshalls arrested Daniel Santos, 22, in Miami Thursday for his alleged involvement in what Pasco detectives called a multi-million dollar fraud ring.

  • Pasco man accused of being involved in large fraud ring
  • Daniel Santos, 22, arrested in Miami last week
  • Detectives say he stole debit, credit cards 

“Multiple hundreds – hundreds and hundreds of victims,” said Det. Spencer Hubbell with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Hubbell said he’s dealt with multiple cases involving Santos since joining the Economic Crimes Unit in 2016, but the first documented case involving Santos in Pasco dates back to March 2015. That was a minor fraud charge, but detectives said his crimes have evolved since then.

“He’s admitted to me previously about his fraud, and he gloats about it on social media, where he holds stacks of cash, firearms, and he’s not scared to show you the lifestyle that he’s living using other people’s hard-earned money,” Hubbell said.

According to Hubbell, Santos would steal debit and credit cards through burglaries, buying stolen numbers, or taking new cards from mailboxes. He’d then allegedly cash fraudulent checks into the accounts and withdraw as much money as he could before the bad checks bounced.

“By that time, it was too late for that account holder, and thousands of dollars had already been withdrawn in cash,” Hubbell said. The detective estimates Santos would withdraw as much as $5,000-$10,000 a day.

He was arrested 55 times in Pasco County on fraud and other charges, including trying to run down a Dade City police officer with a vehicle and lewd and lascivious sexual battery on a victim under 16.  According to the Pasco County sheriff’s office, Santos would simply bond out.

“He was bragging that he was going to walk out before he had his first appearance because he had emergency bond money,” Hubbell said.

It was Santos’s recent posts to social media that led Hubbell and Det. Darren Hill to where he was in Miami and alert the U.S. Marshalls and Miami Dade County Police. Hubbell said Santos was found in a high-rise condominium with a known member of the Blood gang. It’s believed 10-15 people were involved in the fraud operation.

“Daniel was very well aware of what he was doing, and he was teaching the scheme to other members of his believed gang organization,” Hubbell said.

Hubbell said Santos has 48 warrants in Pasco County and the FBI is working to indict him on federal fraud charges.

As for his hundreds of victims, Hubbell said they were reimbursed by their banks, making the financial institutions the victims in this case.

Santos is being held in Miami on no bond.

“I think this time is going to be the time when he’s going to have to sit for a long time and think about, reevaluate his life and the consequences should be coming,” Hubbell said.