Omar Asemgar, cab driver charged in card scam, appears in court

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A cab driver accused of stealing his passengers' credit and debit cards appeared in court Friday.

Omar Asemgar, 51, faces 15 counts of felony identity theft. The charges were filed after an ABC7 I-Team investigation into allegations that the cab driver used customer debit and credit cards to go on spending sprees. The I-Team caught up with him after his arraignment.

ABC7's Jason Knowles asks: "Did you steal your passengers debit cards?"

Asemgar wrapped a scarf around his face and pulled down his hat in an attempt to hide from the I-Team.

Knowles: "What do you have to say to those passengers who trusted you?"

"No comment," Asemgar said.

Knowles: "No comment? Why not? You must have something to say to your passengers."

City investigators at the Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department and police say Asemgar ran an elaborate scheme. He allegedly took some passengers credit and debit cards, saying he needed to take an imprint of the card because his machine in the back seat was broken. Then, he'd allegedly give back imprint and a similar card which was in someone else's name.

Police say it happened to Joe Tosch. When $400 went missing from his checking account, he realized that the card he was given back belonged to Cody Estle.

"The debit card was a debit card that I had lost last October, by giving it to a cab driver who handed me back a different card. But at the time, it looks the same," Estle said in November.

After the I-Team started asking questions, investigators at BACP asked Tosch to give them his card imprint. They and Chicago police detectives say they used it, along with the exact amount of the fare, and the time of Tosch's ride, to track down Asemgar.

Asemgar's attorney wasn't present at the arraignment, so the judge continued the case to Monday.

Since the suspect is from Morocco, the judge asked that he bring his passport at his next court appearance. Police told the I-Team that he had about 50 cards in his possession when he was arrested and there are 16 alleged victims.