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Verzh Movsisyan, Credit Card Skimming, Philadelphia PA, 2021
PHILADELPHIA – Verzh Movsisyan, 43, of Glendale, California, will spend the next six years and three months behind bars for his role in a brazen, multi-state credit card skimming scheme that drained bank accounts across the Mid-Atlantic region. U.S. District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond handed down the sentence, also including five years of supervised release and a hefty $599,000 restitution order. Movsisyan pleaded guilty last June to charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
The operation centered around the surreptitious installation of ‘skimmers’ – nearly undetectable devices – inside gas station pumps. These devices captured debit card numbers and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) as unsuspecting customers purchased fuel. Movsisyan and six co-defendants then used this stolen data to make fraudulent ATM withdrawals and purchase money orders, effectively looting victims’ bank accounts. The skimming devices were strategically placed at gas stations throughout the Mid-Atlantic, turning a routine stop for gas into a financial nightmare for countless individuals.
“This fraud utilized nearly-undetectable technology to take advantage of victims as they went about the business of their daily lives,” stated Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “Being victimized in this way is an alarming violation because there is nothing a victim can do to prevent or stop it.” The investigation and prosecution of this case highlight the difficulty in combating this type of crime, where victims are left vulnerable and helpless.
Movsisyan isn’t acting alone. He’s the second member of the seven-person crew to receive a sentence; one co-defendant received over three years in prison back in March 2020. Two more are slated to be sentenced in August and September of this year, while the remaining three face trial in September. Federal authorities are clearly aiming to dismantle the entire operation and hold all perpetrators accountable. Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, emphasized the insidious nature of the crime, stating, “The victims of this scheme never imagined that filling up their gas tanks could empty out their bank accounts.”
The investigation was a collaborative effort, bringing together the Federal Bureau of Investigation Philadelphia Organized Crime Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, and multiple local police departments including Newark, Delaware; Wyomissing, Pennsylvania; and Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton is prosecuting the case. This demonstrates the widespread impact of the scheme and the need for a coordinated response from various law enforcement agencies.
An indictment remains just an accusation, and Movsisyan, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, the evidence presented in court clearly established his involvement in this sophisticated and damaging fraud. Authorities are urging anyone who suspects they may have been a victim of skimming to contact their bank immediately and report the incident to the FBI or Secret Service.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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