Video surveillance leads MS Coast authorities to man accused in $10k fraud case

Authorities arrested a Mexican national on Tuesday who police say used a government credit card to buy thousands of dollars of building goods on the Mississippi Coast and in Alabama.

An investigation that began in May led authorities to 46-year-old Juan Jesus Flores Cupido, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday.

Cupido was in the country illegally and had been deported before, the release said. He faces a charge of credit card fraud.

Hanna Hendry, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said it was unclear how Cupido allegedly obtained the credit card’s information. She said the Sheriff’s Office would not release what branch of government the credit card belonged to.

Police said the fraud stemmed from the purchase of $10,000 worth of building material at lumber stores in Waveland, D’Iberville and Mobile. Authorities identified Cupido through video surveillance from the stores, Hendry said.

An investigation is ongoing and the news release identified Cupido as “one of the subjects” involved. Hendry said it was unclear if others would face charges in the fraud case.

Harrison County authorities found Cupido at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday at a residence in the 2200 block of Gulf Avenue in Gulfport, according to the release.

He is held in the Harrison County jail and faces deportation again. The Sheriff’s Office said Cupido is not bondable because of a detainer for immigration violations issued by the U.S. Border Patrol.