MCALLEN, TEXAS
A federal judge sentenced a Cuban citizen who was residing in McAllen to eight years and four months in prison for credit card fraud, according to officials.
Alexis Acosta-Guzman, 40, pleaded guilty Nov. 3.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez also ordered Acosta-Guzman to pay restitution in the amount of $211,311 to five financial institutions that absorbed the loss of more than 1,000 victims.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted that the defendant had prior similar criminal conduct.
Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his release from prison, officials said.
From March 2013 through August 2015, Acosta-Guzman wired thousands of dollars in funds to individuals in China, Russia and the Ukraine.
In return, he received more than 1,000 credit card numbers and other personal information that had been stolen from individuals in the United States. Acosta-Guzman transferred that information to others using various email accounts.
He and co-conspirators would then use special devices and the stolen information to create physical credit cards. They used the fraudulent credit cards to make purchases throughout Texas at different retailers and convenience stores, according to officials.
As a result of the scheme, hundreds of people lost more than $211,000 for the fraudulent charges.