A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week against five men for allegedly installing skimming devices on gas pumps in Nevada and Southern California to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting customers, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Brian Spellacy of the U.S. Secret Service, and Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Five defendants, all of whom live in Las Vegas, face charges related to access device fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft: Juan Luis Sosa Tamayo, 31; Adrian Leyva Tamayo, 31; Dayner Manuel Alarcon Rodriguez, 22; Alen Boucourt Diaz, 39; and Francisco Rodriguez Gonzalez, 34.
According to allegations in the indictment, from about June 2018 to about June 2020, the defendants and their co-conspirators placed skimmers at gas pump terminals that compromised at least 2,500 credit and debit card numbers. The defendants traveled to gas stations in and around Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, as well as to various cities in Southern California, to install the skimmers. They subsequently recoded the stolen account information and other personal data onto counterfeit cards. Then the defendants made multiple ATM withdrawals and purchases using the stolen credit and debit card account information obtained from the skimmers.
Sosa Tamayo, Leyva Tamayo, and Rodriguez Gonzalez made their initial appearances on Aug. 7, 2020 in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts. Boucourt Diaz made his initial appearance on August 10, 2020, and Alarcon Rodriguez made his initial appearance on August 12, 2020 in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler.
The statutory maximum penalty for the conspiracy charge is 5 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine. The statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum fine for each count of use or possession of unauthorized or counterfeit access devices. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory penalty of two years in prison. In addition to imprisonment and fines, each defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the LVMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Mickelson is prosecuting the case.
If you are a victim of identity theft, you may make a report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 1-877-438-4338 or online at www.identitytheft.gov. For identity theft prevention tips and free resources visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
