A New Jersey man faces 23 charges for buying gasoline using fraudulent credit cards.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Richard Weinstock of the Pennsylvania State Police, Fern Ridge barracks, in the case against Ricky Perez:

At 9:24 a.m. Aug. 11, trooper Joseph Richards made a traffic stop at the intersection of Weir Lake Road and Roth Road, Ross Township, on a white Ford F350 utility truck, bearing a Florida registration, being operated by Perez, 24, of Morris Plane.

The vehicle was used by Perez on July 8 and July 9 to make 16 $99 transactions for gasoline at the Weis Super Market Gas Station on Weir Lake Road, Chestnuthill Township.

Those transactions were made with fraudulent credit cards totaling $1,584.

Video surveillance of those transactions was obtained by the PSP Fern Ridge before this traffic stop.

In recent months, there have been multiple incidents of fraudulent purchases of fuel at the gas station, where vehicles will max the gasoline pump out at $99 worth of gasoline using fraudulent credit cards and/or gift cards to pump fuel into a fuel cell located inside of the vehicles.

Richards detained Perez and transported him to the PSP Fern Ridge barracks to be interviewed regarding this investigation.

State police at Lehighton are currently investigating Perez for similar incidents in Carbon County.

A search warrant was executed on Perez’s vehicle, yielding 23 fraudulent credit cards hidden under the dashboard on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Through the search of the vehicle, it was determined that the entire bed of the utility truck that Perez is operating has been hollowed out and now contains two fuel cells that are connected.

Perez faces a total of 23 charges, including 23 counts of possessing instrument of crime with intent; and one count each of access device used to obtain or attempt to obtain property/service, and possessing access device knowing counterfeit, altered.

He is currently incarcerated in the Monroe County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Sept. 17 before District Judge Colleen Mancuso of Brodheadsville.