Two more suspects have been indicted in what authorities call an elaborate scheme to fraudulently load values onto MARTA Breeze cards and sell them to passengers.
Melvin Summers III and Jequan Young are accused of computer theft, theft of services and conspiracy to commit identity fraud, DA Robert James said in an email.
The co-conspirators are accused of infiltrating the MARTA computer network to illegally alter Breeze card values. They allegedly purchased legitimate cards for $1, placed unlimited or monthly rides on them and then sold them to riders at discounted cash prices, according to the indictment.
Summers is the son of one of the co-defendants indicted in June 2014, James said. Melvin Summers Jr., Jedadia Byrd, Robert Clark, Christina Carney, Michael Dallas, Stephanie Finger and Pierre Metteaux face felony racketeering charges for a similar scheme, James said. Dallas has already entered a guilty plea.
The first group of alleged computer hackers was arrested in December 2013. MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham said more than 400 cards had been seized.
Members of the first group indicted referred to the alleged scam as the “Underground Railroad,” according to the indictment.
Distributors were stationed at various MARTA terminals to sell the cards at H.E. Holmes, Five Points, Chamblee and Doraville stations, according to the indictment.
The first set of indictments are expected to go to trial early next year, James said.
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