On Friday, March 26th Deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department arrested 28 year old Charles Koffi Gbetoudor also known as Koffi Charles Gbetoudor of Mishiwaka on active warrants out of Marshall County.
The warrants stemmed from 2019 where Deputy McFarland gained information that non- inmate Charles Gbetoudor was putting substantial amounts of money in inmate’s accounts using fraudulent credit cards. The money was then released through a one-time distribution to individuals not incarcerated.
The transactions totaled approximately $15,000 and consisted of multiple credit cards. Formal charges were filed against Charles Koffi Gbetoudor by the Marshall County Prosecutors Office. Gbetoudor was arrested on December 1st, 2019 and released on March 5th, 2020.
On Monday, April 13th, 2020 Marshall Jail Commander Holcomb received information that the Credit Card Theft Ring was happening again. In the Probable Cause Affidavit it stated that an inmate had been keeping in contact with Charles Koffi Gbetoudor and was involved in the criminal activity.
At the time to which the criminal activity took place the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department used a company called GTL to connect inmates by telephone, text and video and monies with Family/Friends. A Fraud Analyst employee with GTL notified the Marshall County Jail that they had discovered fraud involving an inmate where credit card deposits had been made to their account. The email address linked to the credit card was that of Charles Koffi Gbetoudor.
Following an investigation into the credit card fraud led by Deputy McFarland formal charges were again brought against Charles Koffi Gbetoudor and an active warrant was put in place through Marshall County.
On Friday, March 26th, 2021 Charles Koffi Gbetoudor was taken into custody on two active warrants that consisted of 11 counts of Fraud charged as a level 5 felony, 2 counts of Theft charged as a level 5 felony, 2 counts of Fraud to a Bank or Financial Institution charged as a level 5 felony, 1 count of Corrupt Business Influence charged as a level 5 felony, 1 count of Racketeering charged as a level 5 felony and 1 count of Money Laundering charged as a level 5 felony.
Bond was set for $3,005 on the charge of Corrupt Business Influence and held without bond on the Fraud Warrants.
Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings and are entitled to be represented by counsel and entitled to a trial jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.
