Two admit guilt in gas pump card-skimming scheme in Fresno and SoCal, prosecutors say
Two men pleaded guilty to credit card fraud charges in a string of crimes in Fresno and Southern California, federal prosecutors said Monday.
Akop Dongelyan, 47, of Glendale, and Artak Vardanyan, 40, of Burbank, entered their pleas Monday for the crime spree that dates back to November 2015, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced in a news release.
The two men placed card skimmers on the pumps at gas stations to steal credit and debit card information, prosecutors said.
The information was used to make fake cards so they could withdraw $198,000 from the accounts of victims, according to a news release.
Sentencing for Vardanyan was set for Oct. 16 while Dongelyan was scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6, prosecutors said.
They each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to prosecutors.
