2 Ethiopian men charged with fraud in Atlanta

ATLANTA — Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Investigators have arrested two Atlanta men — who are natives of Ethiopia — in connection with more than $2,000 worth of fraudulent purchases.

According to Sheriff’s Office reports Asaye H. Tewolde, 33, of Atlanta and Henok Biede Weldemicael, 26, also of Atlanta each have been charged with 72 counts of financial transaction card fraud from purchases they made in Bartow County over the last several weeks.

The two are accused of using invalid gift cards to make purchases at a Mapco Express in Cartersville in October and November. According to investigators, the pair were interfering with the satellite transceiver that verifies the credit card purchases, enabling them to buy numerous items on the invalid cards.

The pair were arrested when they attempted to use the cards at the same store again and store employees contacted deputies.

Investigators have recovered more than 75 invalid gift cards that were allegedly being used by the pair to purchase cigarettes and other items. Tewolde and Weldemicael also are suspected of the same crime in other jurisdictions.

Both men are being held at the Bartow County Jail pending a bond hearing.

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