The U.S. attorney's office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday that on Nov. 10, a federal grand jury in Scranton indicted Rehan A. Merchant, aka Ray Merchant, aka Aslam Ahmed, the former owner and operator of the Cigar and Tobacco Outlet in Tannersville, Monroe County, charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment charges Merchant with allegedly conspiring with unnamed co-conspirators to use counterfeit and stolen credit and debit cards to make fraudulent purchases at the Cigar and Tobacco Outlet.Merchant and his co-conspirators also allegedly forged the names of cardholders on credit and debit card receipts.The activities took place from September 2014 through September 2015.Merchant was taken into custody last week in Florida after a criminal complaint was issued by the U.S. attorney's office in Scranton.The continuing investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.