BOSTON — Alexandre Kawamura, 43, a Brazilian national, was sentenced Thursday in federal court for orchestrating an ATM skimming operation across Eastern Massachusetts. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin handed down a 30-month prison term, three years of supervised release, and ordered Kawamura to pay $199,078 in restitution. The sentence marks the end of a calculated, mobile crime spree targeting unsuspecting bank customers at multiple Eastern Bank branches.
Kawamura, who legally entered the U.S. on a tourist visa, pleaded guilty in February 2019 to two counts of using counterfeit access devices, four counts of possessing device-making equipment—including ATM skimming devices and pinhole cameras—and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Between February 25 and March 16, 2018, he planted hidden skimming devices and tiny cameras on ATMs in Saugus, Stoneham, Medford, and Everett. The hardware harvested card data from magnetic strips while the cameras recorded PINs as victims typed them in.
On March 8, 2018, Kawamura used a counterfeit debit card loaded with the stolen account information of a woman from Milton. At an ATM in Malden, he withdrew $500 in cash using her PIN. Days later, on March 16, he struck again—this time using a fake credit card with the stolen Eastern Bank account number of a Medford man. He made a purchase at a sporting goods store in Medford under an alias, spending money that wasn’t his just one day after the man’s account was compromised.
The operation unraveled the same day. A vigilant bank customer in Stoneham spotted a skimming device on a drive-up ATM and called police. Officers arrived to find the pinhole camera still mounted. They set up surveillance and waited. Around 11 p.m., Kawamura pulled up in a rental car, scanned the ATM, and quickly drove off—confirming his guilt in real time. Stoneham police stopped the vehicle, discovering a Brazilian passport in his real name, the rental agreement under a false identity, and the counterfeit credit card used in the Medford purchase.
This wasn’t Kawamura’s first offense. Prior to the Massachusetts spree, he had been captured on surveillance skimming ATMs in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, during November and December 2017. He targeted machines at University Federal Credit Union and Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union—signs of a seasoned, cross-state criminal pattern built on exploiting financial infrastructure.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. Kawamura will face deportation upon completing his sentence, ending a run of high-tech theft that ripped off innocent victims one ATM at a time.
Related Federal Cases
- Brazilian National Indicted for Illegal Reentry · Massachusetts
- Bogdan Rusu Led $428K ATM Skimming Ring in New Jersey · Massachusetts
- Flushing Trio Indicted in Interstate Sex Trafficking Ring · Pennsylvania
- Ex-Boston Teacher Gavin Indicted in CSAM Ring · North Carolina
- Connecticut Man Sentenced to 10 Years for National ID Theft Scheme · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
