Darien Police make Counterfeit credit card & ATM skimming arrest

On September 22, 2014 this agency was contacted by JPMorgan Chase Bank Security that two unknown subjects had used counterfeit debit/credit cards to withdraw cash from two ATM locations in Darien.  It was also determined that after using the cards in Darien the suspects had traveled to Fairfield, CT.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank Security then notified Fairfield Police and both suspects were apprehended at a People's United Bank ATM.  The two suspects were identified as Mario Pena and Mirko Martinelli.  A total of 34 counterfeit debit cards were recovered from Pena and Martinelli.

Through investigation it was determined that the debit card numbers and personal information on the counterfeit cards had been obtained by running a "skimmer" at the ATM at JPMorgan Chase Bank in Oradell, N.J. on September 21, 2014.  Skimmers are used by criminals to obtain the personal information of persons utilizing an ATM.  A skimmer device is placed on the outside of the ATM and as the customer puts their card into the ATM it goes through the skimmer.  The skimmer reads and records the information on the customer's card. In this case the suspects used this information to make counterfeit cards by placing magnetic strips with the information on blanks cards.  The method for obtaining the pin numbers is unknown in this case.  The skimmer had been on this particular ATM for approximately 15 hours. 

On September 22, 2014 from 10:23pm to 11:34pm, Pena and Martinelli attempted a total of 42 withdrawals from the ATM at JPMorgan Chase Bank on Noroton Ave., and from the ATM at Citibank on Heights Rd. in Darien.  They were able to withdraw a total of $1,220.00 from 13 compromised accounts. 

On October 3, 2014, two arrest warrants were issued for Pena and Martinelli charging them with multiple counts of larceny and credit card fraud from an ATM stemming from the Darien incident.  A fifty-thousand dollar court set bond was requested and granted.  Extradition from surrounding States and New Jersey was also granted.

On 10-27-14, this agency was notified by U.S. Customs that they had Mario Pena in custody at Logan International Airport, Boston, Mass.  Pena was returning from the Dominican Republic.  After confirming our intent to extradite he was turned over to the Massachusetts State Police on the Darien charges.  At arraignment on 10-27-14, in Boston, Pena waived extradition back to Connecticut.

On 10-31-14, Darien officers took custody of Pena at the East Boston, MA Court House.  Pena was then transported back to Darien where he was processed.  Pena was charged with the following:

Arrestee:              Pena, Mario DOB 01/23/1992

                                2604 University Place #2A

Bronx, NY

Charges:              -Larceny 4^th Degree

-42 counts of Fraudulent Use of an ATM

-42 counts of Use of a Counterfeit Credit Card

-24 counts of Identity Theft 3^rd Degree

-24 counts of Conspiracy to Identity Theft 3^rd Degree

Oradell N.J. Police Department also applied for and was granted arrest warrants for Pena and Martinelli for the skimming incident in their jurisdiction.  While in custody, Pena was also charged as a Fugitive from Justice by this agency for the Oradell warrant.  He was held on a $150,000.00 bond and was arraigned in court today. 

Mirko Martinelli is scheduled to turn himself in to Darien Police today.