MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Passengers aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Venezia were in for a surprise when it was discovered that the idyllic voyage had turned into a scene of alleged criminal activity.
Miami-Dade police said 27-year-old Cierra Edrea Smith, of Nashville, and 28-year-old Myesha Idalis Mayes, were accused of perpetrating a fraud scheme involving the use of counterfeit credit cards.
An arrest report stated both Smith and Mayes had booked their trip using fraudulent credit cards, and their activities onboard only added to the suspicions.
After utilizing several fraudulent credit cards, both women managed to obtain significant amounts of credit at the ship’s casino. Smith is alleged to have cashed out casino credit amounting to $8,205, while both suspects collectively accrued $11,460 in fraudulent charges using multiple credit cards, the report stated.
Authorities said neither woman could produce the physical credit cards purportedly used for the bookings or the onboard purchases.
After reading Smith her Miranda rights, police confirmed she made a confession to detectives that was redacted in her arrest report.
As of Tuesday, Smith and Mayes are being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a total bond of 12,000.
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