Spanish National Charged In ATM Skimmer Scheme
PITTSBURGH, Pa. ‑ Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, August 11, 2010, that a man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Identity Theft and Access Device Fraud.
The two‑count indictment named Felipe Juan Lopez, age 34, a Spanish National, as the defendant.
According to the indictment, Lopez conspired to install a "skimmer" onto PNC Bank ATMs throughout Western Pennsylvania for the purpose of stealing account information from PNC Bank customers who used the ATM machine to perform account transactions.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Law Enforcement officers from the Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The Financial Crimes Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agents and officers committed to the investigation and prosecution of financial crimes involving identity theft in Western Pennsylvania.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
