State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns also sent Grand Island businessman Loay Abdellatif to jail for the next four months and placed Abdallah's brother, Jihad, and Tashia Pratcher, a Trocaire College and Buffalo Public Schools teacher, on probation for their roles in the credit card crimes.

While collecting $324,674.34 in restitution, Burns denounced Amer Abdallah - a former kickboxing champion - and Brown for their "sophisticated, dishonest enterprise" and reminded the apologetic masterminds that their scheme ended a year ago only "because you got caught."

Brown told the judge "need and greed" led him into the scam, in which he and his colleagues used credit card machinery in Abdellatif's Grand Island business to get information on thousands of credit card holders.

An investigation began 12 months ago, when a retired Elma physician came to the State Police Boston barracks and said a credit card company told him a long-dormant card had recently run up more than $18,000 in new charges.

Amer Abdallah and Brown pleaded guilty May 5 to felony scheme to defraud, grand larceny and identify theft charges. Abdellatif pleaded guilty to identify theft and scheme to defraud. Jihad Abdallah pleaded guilty to felony stolen property charges for handling eBay purchases made with the stolen credit card information. Pratcher pleaded guilty to petit larceny.

Brown, 35, of Phyllis Avenue, signed a confession of judgment obligating him to make an additional $105,000 restitution to national credit card companies after his attorneys handed the judge a check for $70,000 as part of his restitution in the case.

Attorneys for Pratcher, 28, of Rounds Avenue, told the judge they will file checks totaling $8,000.02 for her portion of the court-ordered restitution by the end of the week.

Attorneys for Jihad Abdallah, 26, of Sweet Home Road, Amherst, turned over checks totaling $35,000 for his portion, and Abdellatif, 35, of East River Road, Grand Island, turned over a check for 35,674.32

Seven months ago, both Abdallah brothers were forced to surrender their Jordanian passports.