A Tampa man has been sentenced to prison after he installed skimming devices that stole credit card information at Sarasota gas stations. According to the office of Ed Brodsky, state attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit, Asleys Acosta, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison after being convicted of multiple counts, including trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and possession of a skimming device.
In 2018 Acosta fled Minnesota before he was sentenced for theft. In Sarasota, he installed two skimming devices at local gas stations. Three victims reported stolen credit card information to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, where detectives were able to identify Acosta and an accomplice as suspects. A Home Depot loss prevention officer notified law enforcement that Acosta was in his store using stolen credit card information, and Acosta was arrested. He was found to have a computer and phone tied to the skimmers as well as software that rewrites gift cards with the stolen credit card information.
Andrew van Sickle, the economic crime prosecutor in Sarasota, said two factors were key in solving the case: First, the victims alerted law enforcement; and second, the partnership forged by the Sheriff’s Office, local businesses and financial institutions… Herald-Tribune