ALBANY, NY – Joan Jesus Manso Dieguez, 35, of Miami, Florida, has confessed to his role in a sprawling, multi-state gas station skimming scheme that siphoned personal and banking information from unsuspecting customers at the pump. The operation, which stretched from late 2015 to mid-2019, targeted gas stations across the country, including locations in Albany, Broome, and Montgomery Counties in New York.
Dieguez, along with seven other arrested individuals, built and deployed sophisticated skimming devices inside gas pumps. These devices secretly captured credit and debit card data as customers paid for fuel. The stolen information was then used to create counterfeit cards, which were exploited to acquire money orders, gift cards, and cold, hard cash. Federal investigators say Dieguez wasn’t just an installer; he was a key player in the laundering of the illicit proceeds.
According to court documents, Dieguez directly deposited at least $505,739 into bank accounts under his control. He then withdrew $473,754 in cash and funneled another $1,731,169 into the purchase of gift cards. These gift cards, investigators determined, were purchased using the stolen data of approximately 2,900 individual cardholders – a staggering number of victims whose finances were compromised. As part of his plea agreement, Dieguez has agreed to forfeit $1,421,200.
While Dieguez is the last of eight defendants to plead guilty, the investigation is far from over. Four other individuals involved in the scheme remain at large, prompting a continued nationwide search by federal authorities. The FBI Albany Field Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division spearheaded the investigation, with support from multiple FBI field offices, the Secret Service Miami Field Office, and state agencies.
The scope of the investigation underscores the increasing sophistication of these types of financial crimes. Beyond the local impact in New York, the scheme extended to multiple states, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and interagency cooperation to combat such threats. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Emily C. Powers are prosecuting the case.
Dieguez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2022, before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $500,000 (or twice the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater), and up to 3 years of supervised release. The final sentence will be determined by the judge, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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