Branford Police Probe, Part Of Federal Case, Sees Man Get Prison

BRANFORD, CT — A credit card had been stolen from a local gym. Branford police Detective Arthur Ferris and officer Brett Johnson investigated and tracked the theft to a New Haven man named Andrew Finkler, police said.

At around the same time, investigators learned that the U.S. Attorney and the U.S. Secret Service were also investigating Finkler, now 56.

In what Branford Police Department Lt. Dominick Eula described as both a “profound” and important case based on a years-long fraud scheme, forces were joined as Branford wasn’t the only Connecticut town where Finkler was then-alleged to have stolen identities through credit card theft and fraud.

Federal prosecutors said that from September 2018 to May 2019, Finkler went to gym locations around the state, stole credit cards from lockers and other locations while the victims were working out and then, using the stolen credit cards, and mobile device payment apps, made around $144,000 in “fictitious charges to bank accounts that he created and controlled.” Afterwards, he’d return the credit cards to the victims’ wallets before they came back to the locker room. There were 50 victims, federal prosecutors said.

A Branford gym was where one of the thefts occurred and local investigators connected the dots.

Now, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut has announced that Finkler, described by prosecutors as a ”career criminal,” has been sentenced to serve 8 years in federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft. He pleaded guilty to one count of credit card fraud, one count of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft last January.

Finkler has a criminal history that spans nearly 40 years and includes five federal convictions for fraud schemes.

In August 2017, Finkler stole credit cards from two of his employer’s customers and used the cards to make more than 40 fraudulent charges in Connecticut and New York, a media release from the US Attorney explains.

The charges included Finkler’s purchase of jewelry for his girlfriend, Apple products and electronic devices, and other high-end consumer and retail goods for either himself or his friends, prosecutors said, adding the total loss to the victims was $20,867.73.

In September 2018, Finkler, using another individual’s identity, opened a membership at a fitness center with gym locations throughout Connecticut. Finkler also used the same stolen identity to create accounts with mobile device payment applications.

Finkler, held since he was arrested in August 2019, was ordered to pay restitution of $145,657.06.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, and the Wallingford, Avon, North Haven, Madison, Glastonbury and Branford Police Departments.