GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Antonio DeJesus Perez-Martinez, 44, formerly of Austin, Texas, is headed for a long stretch behind bars. The ringleader of a sophisticated gas-pump skimming and identity-theft scheme was sentenced today to 144 months – 12 years – in federal prison. The operation stretched far beyond Michigan, hitting pumps in Texas, Colorado, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Perez-Martinez was convicted in January 2017 of conspiracy to commit wire-fraud, credit-account fraud, and aggravated identity-theft following a full trial. He’s the final defendant to be sentenced in a sprawling investigation spearheaded by the FBI’s Lansing office, with crucial assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Grand Rapids Metro Fraud and Identity-Theft Team, and the Grand Ledge Police Department. This wasn’t some fly-by-night operation; it was a calculated, multi-state assault on unsuspecting consumers.
The evidence revealed Perez-Martinez, a Cuban citizen and lawful permanent resident, preyed on newly arrived immigrants. He recruited recent arrivals – all admitted to the US in 2014 under a special parole program – to install hidden skimming devices inside gas pumps. These devices silently captured credit-account data, which was then transferred to cloned credit cards. The group then used these fraudulent cards to buy gift cards and prepaid debit cards at major retailers, effectively laundering stolen funds. The scheme began with illicitly obtained data online, but quickly escalated to physical skimming operations, extending into West Michigan by the summer of 2015.
Perez-Martinez isn’t the only one facing consequences. Raul Gonzalez Falcon (29), Yunier Carballo-Pupo (34), Manuel Perez-Cabrera (38), and Michel Velazquez-Gregori (30) each received 21-month prison sentences after pleading guilty and cooperating with investigators. Pedro Sanchez-Pupo (32) received a harsher sentence of 37 months. One defendant, Juan Estrada-Galvez, received a lighter sentence – a state misdemeanor – after authorities determined his role was minimal.
“Perez-Martinez has learned the hard way that West Michigan is the wrong place to visit if you’re engaged in a gas-pump skimming scheme,” declared Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. “The odds of getting caught here are good, and if you are caught, then your case will be prosecuted in Federal court and the investigative resources of the FBI will be brought to bear against you. That applies both to those who are caught in the act and to people like Perez- Martinez who might never set foot in West Michigan, but who send their subordinates here.”
David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the FBI, added, “The guilty verdict and subsequent lengthy sentence in this case demonstrate that criminals who engage in identity theft will be held accountable for their crimes. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, is committed to safeguarding the public against such crimes and working to ensure the American public is secure in its financial transactions.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagen W. Frank prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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