Chicago cabdriver charged in credit scam

A Chicago taxicab driver has been indicted on charges of stealing passengers' credit cards, then buying personal items.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez says 51-year-old Omar Asemgar was indicted Thursday on 15 counts of felony identity theft.

She says that when he was arrested Nov. 12, officers recovered a bag containing at least 50 credit cards.

Prosecutors say Asemgar would take a passenger's credit card for payment, charge him or her for the ride and then hand back a different but similar-looking card.

They say he'd then quickly use the stolen card to buy gift cards and other merchandise for his own use.

Asemgar recycled the stolen cards into a general pool that he'd give to new, unsuspecting victims, authorities say.

It was not immediately clear if Asemgar has an attorney.