3 Men Plead Guilty In Credit Card Skimming Scheme

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Three men have pleaded guilty in a credit card skimming scheme that targeted Twin Cities gas stations.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, 20-year-old Roilan Garriga pleaded guilty to five counts of felony identity theft Tuesday. Last week, 24-year-old Wilbur Perez-Soca and 28-year-old Asleys Acosta pleaded guilty to the same charges.

The attorney's office said the men admitted to traveling from Florida to Minnesota with the intent of stealing credit cards. They installed skimmers at several gas stations and used the falsified cards at a variety of Twin Cities businesses, including the Mall of America.

The men were caught when a neighbor called police last year to report three men tampering with a gas pump at the BP at 2000 Third Avenue South.

Police arrived and arrested Garriga, Perez-Soca and Acosta. In their vehicle, police found equipment used to install the skimmers. Police also found more than 20 cards in the van.

Six skimmers were found on the station's pumps.

A judge will sentence all three men on Jan. 8, 2018. Garriga and Perez-Soca are expected to receive between 41 and 57 months in prison, the attorney's office said, while Acosta will receive between 60 and 90 months due to previous credit card convictions.