MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 28-year-old California woman has been sentenced for installing an illegal credit card skimmer in gas pumps in order to steal victims’ identities
Gohar Yesayan, of Van Nuys, Ca., was sentenced to serve 57 months — nearly 5 years — in prison.
Last month, Yesayan was convicted of identity theft involving at least eight victims.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said the jury took little time to convict Yesayan — the first of two defendants in the identity theft case.
Freeman said through the investigation, detectives learned that more than 450 people had their credit card information stolen by the device Yesayan installed.
At least eight of those people were victims of identity theft.
“There would have been hundreds or thousands more victims if she had not been stopped,” Freeman said. “And some of our victims were temporarily unable to pay for food and other necessities because their accounts were tapped.”
In addition to prison time, Yesayan must pay restitution in the amount of $25,000 to victims.
