The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of five Florida men who are believed to be part of a criminal ring that stole fuel and personal identification information by using gas pump skimmers in multiple states. According to an official statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handberg five individuals were charged with conspiracy, 4 counts of wire fraud, 15 counts of access device fraud, and 3 counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with their participation in a multi-state gas pump skimming device conspiracy involving the theft of diesel fuel:
- Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami)
- Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami)
- Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami)
- Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville)
- Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa).
If convicted each suspect faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of access device fraud, up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy count, a consecutive minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, and payment of restitution to the victims they defrauded.
According to court documents, the individuals worked together, and with others, to place skimmers on gas pumps in the north Florida area and other states. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then used them to purchase primarily diesel fuel. Utilizing vehicles with a bladder/container to pump the fraudulently purchased diesel fuel into, the conspirators would offload the stolen fuel into containers at a fuel yard. The stolen fuel was then sold to a gas station associated with one of the co-conspirators.
