A North Tonawanda man has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for his role in a gas fraud scheme that involved the use of hundreds of stolen credit card numbers, federal prosecutors announced this week.

Kingsley Brown, along with co-defendant Cross Malik Williams, orchestrated a scheme between August 2022 and July 2023 that defrauded financial institutions of nearly $200,000. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, Brown used stolen credit card information to illegally purchase gasoline across Western New York, resulting in $192,673 in losses.

Federal investigators, including agents from the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office, revealed that Brown and Williams utilized card-making devices to produce counterfeit credit cards embedded with stolen data. These fake cards were then used to buy fuel, forming the core of the fraudulent operation. Authorities traced the scheme to a total of 570 stolen credit card numbers.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, with the investigation led by Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors emphasized that the fraudulent purchases were deliberate and sustained over the course of nearly a year, causing substantial financial harm to victims.

Following his conviction, Brown received a 12-month prison sentence for his role in the conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not released further details about the sentencing or current proceedings involving co-defendant Williams.

As of now, Brown is expected to serve his full sentence, and no additional charges have been announced. The FBI continues to investigate the scope of the fraudulent activity.