Criminal simulation and conspiracy charges against seven Cuban nationals accused of running a credit-card fraud ring were bound over to the grand jury.

General Sessions Court Judge Ben Hall McFarlin found probable cause for indictments to be considered against Luis Camella-Chaman, Erinaldo Montano, Yosniel Ramos, Orosman Heredia,Isequiel Gonzalez, Carlos Naranjo-Gonzalez and Jorge Guitierrez after their Jan. 27 arrest at Super 8 Motel on Chaffin Place near I-24 in possession of numerous credit cards, gift cards and a scanner.

The judge also kept bond at $100,000 each for the men. Four of them are from Austin, Texas, two from Miami and one from Tampa, Fla., and none have family or jobs in Tennessee, according to testimony.

Murfreesboro Police Detective Greg Flanagan testified the men were traveling across the country, from Wisconsin to Murfreesboro, using stolen credit card numbers and a re-encoder to commit fraud.

Officer Palmer Gibbs testified he went to Microtel on Chaffin Place the day of the arrest on a separate call and saw two of the men at the counter trying to use credit cards unsuccessfully. Then, two other men came into the motel and tried credit cards, which also were turned down, he testified.

Gibbs reported what he considered "suspicious activity" and followed four men in their vehicle, a Ford F-150 pickup truck, down the street to Super 8. When one of the men got out of the vehicle in the parking to speak to him, Gibbs said, he smelled marijuana.

Police got permission to search the truck and found numerous credit cards, some hidden in cigarette packs, in addition to a laptop computer, table and card "skimmer" or reader, he testified.

For more on the story from Murfreesboro Post writer Sam Stockard, click here.

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