FRESNO, Calif. — A crime spree that spanned multiple years and thousands of dollars in losses has finally come to an end for two men accused of using credit and debit card skimmers to steal victims’ financial information.
Artak Vardanyan, 40, of Burbank, was sentenced to 11 months in prison for conspiring to commit credit and debit card fraud, while Christos Mavrokelos, 37, a Romanian national, plead guilty to using counterfeit debit cards and skimming devices to steal victims’ financial information.
Vardanyan and his co-defendant, Akop Dongelyan, went on a crime spree in Fresno and Southern California in November 2015, using skimmers to steal credit and debit card information from gas stations. They then used that information to make counterfeit credit and debit cards, stealing over $195,000 from victims’ accounts.
Mavrokelos, on the other hand, used debit card skimming devices on bank ATMs to steal victims’ debit card information and made unauthorized cash withdrawals on victims’ accounts between July 2021 and November 2023. He made over 10 unauthorized cash withdrawals, causing an actual loss of $75,000 and a reasonably foreseeable intended loss of over $95,000.
The two cases are the product of investigations by the FBI and local law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Arelis Clemente are prosecuting the case involving Vardanyan, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Cody Chapple are prosecuting the case involving Mavrokelos.
Vardanyan’s co-defendant, Dongelyan, previously plead guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2024, facing a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Mavrokelos is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2024, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The cases highlight the dangers of credit and debit card skimming and the importance of being vigilant when using ATMs and gas station credit card machines.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
