12/11/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/11/2024 12:33
DENVER - The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado announces that Yamany Guerra-Pena, 36, a Cuban national and Miami, Florida resident, was sentenced to 55 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to multiple victims in the amount of $76,980 after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods and altering motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs).
According to the plea agreement, from 2021 through early 2023, Guerra-Pena and others installed numerous skimmers on gas pumps in the Colorado Springs area, which were used to steal customers' bank account numbers. Guerra-Pena used that data to manufacture fraudulent clone-cards. Those clone-cards were used to purchase thousands of dollars' worth of diesel fuel, which was resold on the black market. Guerra-Pena also stole personal vehicles and heavy construction equipment, removed the VINs, and sold the vehicles to unwitting buyers in the Miami area.
"Stopping criminals like Guerra-Pena who prey on innocent Coloradans is a critical priority of our office," said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. "This case is an excellent example of how local and federal law enforcement work together to protect our communities."
"This sentencing demonstrates our collective resolve to deter crimes threatening our financial infrastructure," said Special Agent in Charge Marc DellaSala, U.S. Secret Service, Denver Field Office. "We are dedicated to disrupting all schemes which undermine our nation's financial security and negatively impact law-abiding Americans. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and our partners at the Colorado Springs Police Department for their dedication to this effort."
"The Colorado Springs Police Department's Financial Crimes Unit takes these types of crimes seriously because of the significant impact they have on individual community members and local businesses who are the ones truly victimized by these 'skimming' crimes," said Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. "We are thankful for the impact that we can have on these types of criminal operations with the help of our federal partners."
United States District Court Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing. The United States Secret Service Denver Field Office, and the Colorado Springs Police Department handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 23-cr-00037-WJM