Yamany Guerra-Pena, a 36-year-old Cuban national residing in Miami, Florida, has been sentenced to 55 months in prison. This sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Guerra-Pena was also ordered to pay $76,980 in restitution to multiple victims after pleading guilty to charges including bank fraud, identity theft, and conspiracy related to stolen goods and altering vehicle identification numbers.
From 2021 through early 2023, Guerra-Pena and accomplices installed skimmers on gas pumps around Colorado Springs. These devices were used to steal bank account numbers from customers. The stolen data was then used to create fraudulent clone-cards which facilitated the purchase of diesel fuel that was later sold on the black market. Additionally, Guerra-Pena was involved in stealing personal vehicles and heavy construction equipment, removing their VINs before selling them in Miami.
Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch emphasized the importance of addressing such crimes: “Stopping criminals like Guerra-Pena who prey on innocent Coloradans is a critical priority of our office.” Special Agent Marc DellaSala from the U.S. Secret Service Denver Field Office stated: “This sentencing demonstrates our collective resolve to deter crimes threatening our financial infrastructure.”
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez highlighted the impact of these crimes on local communities: “The Colorado Springs Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit takes these types of crimes seriously because of the significant impact they have on individual community members and local businesses who are the ones truly victimized by these ‘skimming’ crimes.”
United States District Court Judge William J. Martinez presided over the case. The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service Denver Field Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department, with Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff handling prosecution duties.