United States, US, financial crimes investigators have reportedly nabbed three Nigerians – Shalewa Olayinka, 53, Christy Tifase and Maxwell Ezenwa for their alleged connection in a large-scale credit card scheme that allegedly used two Southwest Houston businesses to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Daily mail is reporting that Olayinka had applied for 116 credit cards which he subsequently obtained from eight different financial institutions in 12 other people’s names.

He allegedly applies for the credit card using a victim’s information and then steals the card out of his or her mailbox when the card arrives.

According to investigators, the 53-year-old had a square card reader attached to his cell phone under the business name “Sleek Auto Sales” and would run the fraudulent credit cards in his southwest Houston apartment. The money was then deposited into his bank account.

The two other suspects, said to be his accomplices, run a cartel which operates within the US and have allegedly stolen more than $650,000.

Olayinka reportedly conspired with the two local business owners, Ezenwa, who owns Lace Warehouse and African Fashions on Bissonnet and Tifase who owns Lagos Island Café on Highway 6 South, a west African food restaurant.

The cartel is accused of also running the credit cards for payments at their businesses.

Investigators also revealed that the trio will be facing a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, felony.