Bulgarian National Pleads Guilty to ATM Skimming

BOSTON – A Bulgarian national pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a scheme to create counterfeit ATM cards and to withdraw money from the bank accounts of unsuspecting customers.

Anatoli Mitrev, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Oct. 19, 2021. Mitrev was extradited to the United States in March 2021 after he was indicted with co-conspirator, Georgi Kanev, in July 2018.

Mitrev and Kanev installed skimmers and cameras on two Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank ATMs over a period of approximately four weeks in July and August 2013. The devices allowed the defendants to obtain magnetic strip information from ATM customers as well as obtain their PIN numbers. The information was then used to create counterfeit ATM cards to withdraw funds from the compromised accounts.

In May 2021, Judge Sorokin sentenced Kanev to 30 months in prison, one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $199,624.

The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud provides for a sentence of up to 90 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Frederick J. Regan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Edgartown Police Department and the Oak Bluffs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.