FEDERAL WORKERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY IN CREDIT CARD FRAUD.

Byline: Phillip W. Browne Staff Writer

Three U.S. government employees, including a mother and daughter, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of grand theft and computer fraud related to a scheme to steal thousands of dollars from a Woodland Hills credit card processing company.

They are accused of illegally taking at least $31,000 from Superior Bank Card Services and transferring it into one of the women's personal bank accounts, said Department of Defense special agent M. David Martin. The trio was captured before they could complete a second, $28,000 transaction, Martin said.

``The Secret Service, which investigates credit card fraud, informed us of the suspects, and we launched an investigation,'' Martin said. ``I am not at liberty to discuss the details of the case, but there could be more to it. The investigation is continuing.''

Tony Senagra, spokesman for SBCS, said the company is cooperating fully with the investigation.

``This type of fraud is very harmful,'' Senagra said. ``Everyone loses, from the merchants to the processing company to the card holders who have to pay higher interest rates.''

The women each were charged with one count of grand theft of personal property, fraudulent use of access cards, receiving stolen property, computer access and fraud, and money laundering.

They used computers at the Van Nuys Federal Building to conduct their fraud, said Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

If convicted, each could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison and fined $20,000, prosecutors said.

The suspects include 31-year-old Lelani Deruso of Sylmar, a former U.S. Treasury Department employee, her mother, 60-year-old Carolyn Deruso of Lancaster, who works for the Defense Department, and 31-year-old Wanda McClain of Los Angeles, who also is a Defense Department employee.

A judge released all three from custody on their own recognizance after the Thursday hearings because they had been cooperative with investigators, Gibbons said. Prosecutors did not object to them being released. Their next court appearances were set for Jan. 12.

The women were arrested Wednesday at the Van Nuys Federal Building, where two of them work, said Deputy District Attorney Loren Naiman, head of a unit formed recently to prosecute cyber crime. Felony warrants for the trio were issued Dec. 23.

Carolyn Deruso is believed to have recruited McClain as part of an scheme to bilk money from the headquarters of Superior Bank Card Services, a Woodland Hills credit card processing company.

McClain reportedly allowed her personal bank account to be used to receive more than $31,000 from SBCS.

Carolyn Deruso later recruited her daughter into the scheme and attempted to use her bank account to receive an additional $28,000 from SBCS, prosecutors allege.

That attempt was not successful, Martin said.

Martin declined to detail how the suspects carried out their scheme.

SBCS processes point-of-sale credit card transactions for retail merchants and issues verification numbers allowing a sale to be completed, Senagra said.

While SBCS approved the transactions, the money actually came from other victims, including MasterCard, Visa, Discovery and Sleep Comfort Adjustable Beds, Martin said.