Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 36-year-old Giraldo Cardenas of Homestead, Florida pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek 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.

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 cards, which were then used to make purchases at local merchants.

Cardenas faces a maximum of 7 years in prison when he is sentenced on Wednesday, October 10 at 9:30 a.m.

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.