Brazilian gets 8 years in Las Vegas-based credit card ‘skimmer’ scam

A Brazilian man was sentenced Monday to more than eight years in prison after he was found guilty of credit and debit fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Anderson Clayton Mariano Alcantara, 29, is the 11th person sentenced in connection the four-year “skimming” scam. There were 21 total people charged in a 2017 indictment, the DOJ said.

According to court documents, he and others put “skimmers” — devices that read and store credit and debit card information — on ATMs and ticket cash-out machines at casinos, nightclubs, high-end boutiques and other spots in Las Vegas and other cities across the country from 2013 to 2017.

Alcantara and others also set up “laboratories” in homes and hotel rooms in Las Vegas to make counterfeit credit and debit cards, the DOJ said. They would get cash advances at casinos and buy expensive items like Rolex watches, high-end handbags and iPhones to resell on the black market or online.

“These activities caused millions of dollars in losses in hotel-casino properties and other retail businesses,” the DOJ said.

Alcantara pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced Monday to 97 months in prison.

Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.