Siesta Key Businesses Victims Of Credit Card Scam

At least two Siesta Key Village businesses appear to be victims of a duo using fraudulent credit and debit cards, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

In June, George Dale, 42, listed as a transient, visited on back-to-back nights, first buying a $200 gift card, then a $271.79 bill the following night, according to investigators, and both were paid for with a fraudulent credit card restaurant managers later learned from their credit card processor.

Dale returned to SKOB on Wednesday night and attempted to pay with his gift card that was purchased in June, but it was declined, according to the probable cause affidavit, due to the handy work of the manager lowering the card amount to 1 cent in attempt to catch anyone using the card. Dale instead used a debit card and left the restaurant as the manager called deputies, according to the sheriff's office.

Later that night, Dale and Charles Poupart, 33, of Port Orchard, Washington, were located at where they had purchased a $50 gift card and paid a $70 drink tab using the same debit card just used at SKOB, according to the sheriff's office.

The men had seven debit cards believed to be fraudulent, as well as two gift cards, one of which a $100 American Express gift card, which were paid for using the fraudulent cards.

Dale is charged with felony counts of forgery of a credit card and grand theft, and Poupart is charged with a felony count of forgery of a credit card, according to the sheriff's office.

Dale was booked into Sarasota County Jail on $2,000 bail, while Poupart was booked at the jail on $1,000 bail, according to the sheriff's office.

Detectives believe the men may have used these fraudulent credit cards at other area businesses. 

Anyone who believes they also suffered losses from transactions with Dale and Poupart can contact the Sheriff’s Office at 861-5800 to file a report.