Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 36-year-old Giraldo Cardenas of Homestead, Florida has been sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek to 6 months in jail. The defendant pleaded guilty to the highest charge in the indictment against him.

The defendant admitted that he was involved in the installation of credit card skimmers that were placed in various gas station pumps in Amherst, Lancaster and the Town of Tonawanda between July 14 through July 25, 2018.

The skimmers, a device that can be affixed to a card reader, obtained the credit and debit card information from the victims. The defendant used the information to create fraudulent debit and credit cards, which were then used to make purchases at local merchants.

Cardenas pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree in September 2018.

“I am committed to prosecuting offenders who use skimmers or any new technology to steal from residents of Erie County,” said DA Flynn.

DA Flynn commends the investigative work by the Amherst Police Department, Town of Tonawanda Police Department, the New York State Police and the US Secret Service.

The case was prosecuted by Candace K. Vogel, Chief of the DA’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Gary M. Ertel.