Charges filed for credit card skimming

Austin—The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC), working with the Midland County District Attorney’s Office, has filed criminal charges against 10 men accused of a large-scale payment card and gas pump skimming/fuel theft operation that spanned multiple jurisdictions in Texas and spread into other states.

The charges filed include Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, a first-degree felony, and Unlawful Interception of Electronic Communications (Skimmer) a second-degree felony. The charges resulted from an investigation that began in 2023 and continues.

FCIC Special Agents uncovered a sophisticated criminal network involved in the design, manufacture, sale, and use of multiple variations of payment card skimming devices that targeted fuel pumps. Members of this organization not only carried out skimming operations themselves but also supplied devices and trained others in their methods, spreading their criminal activity into multiple states.

Evidence shows the vast financial impact of this group. For example, just one suspect laundered more than $400,000 in a single year through illicit transactions. Investigators further determined that members of the organization were actively selling and supplying skimmers to suspects both in Texas and in several other states, significantly expanding the reach of the criminal enterprise.

The FCIC, working with numerous other agencies, successfully disrupted the criminal network, preventing further fraudulent activity, safeguarding thousands of consumers by recovering compromised payment card numbers before they could be exploited. The following agencies participated in the investigation with the FCIC:

Arrest warrants have been issued for:

Several suspects are now in custody with several others still at large.

SOURCE Financial Crimes Intelligence Center