Counterfeit credit cards seized

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office today said that on Wednesday, December 8, at approximately 6:31 p.m., a detective assigned to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit was patrolling I-75 in North Fort Myers.

The detective conducted a traffic stop on a Ford passenger car for traveling too slowly (below the minimum speed limit of 50 mph) and for making an unsafe lane change in the southbound lanes. The vehicle had two occupants. Upon making contact with the driver, the detective noticed that both occupants were extremely nervous and remained so throughout the stop after being told they were only being given a warning, investigators said. Other indicators of criminal activity were observed by the detective during the traffic stop. The driver gave the detective consent to search the vehicle after being given a written warning, authorities said.

A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 15 cloned credit cards and two fraudulent Florida driver’s licenses with a photograph of the defendant and names matching those on the cloned credit cards.

Investigators said these were hidden behind the rear seat in a void area between the trunk and the passenger compartment. Upon the discovery of the cloned credit cards, the defendant in the case began to struggle with the detective who attempted to place her under arrest.

A Florida State Trooper assigned to the Contraband Interdiction Program responded to the traffic stop and was able to confirm the credit cards were counterfeit. The United States Secret Service was also contacted and assisted with the investigation. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes unit reported at the conclusion of the investigation, Yaneski C. Navarro-Jimenez, 21, of Miami, was arrested and charged with one count of trafficking (10 or more) in counterfeit credit cards, 15 counts of possession of counterfeit credit cards, two counts of possession of a fraudulent driver’s license, two counts of identity theft, one count of resisting arrest without violence and one count of driver’s license restriction violation.