Two Plead Guilty To NorCal Credit Card Skimming
MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) -- Two Los Angeles men have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $90,000 by skimming personal information from Northern California gas station pumps.
The defendants, 32-year-old David Karapetyan and 31-year-old Zhirayr Zamanyan, appeared Tuesday in Contra Costa County court on charges of conspiracy, identity theft and other felonies.
Karapetyan was sentenced to seven years in prison. Zamanyan received five years.
Investigators say the men acquired keys to unlock various types of gas station pumps. Once inside, they used an electronic device to record customers' ATM and credit card data.
The scam is believed to have affected 196 people at gas stations in Martinez, Benicia, Livermore, Hayward, Oakland, San Mateo and Sacramento.
Two other defendants are scheduled to appear in court next month.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
