Man Behind Credit Card Scam Targeting Customers At Michaels Stores Gets Prison Time

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA/AP) -- Federal prosecutors say a Southern California man involved in a credit card scheme that targeted customers at Michaels' arts-and-crafts stores is going to prison.

Angel Angulo has been sentenced to three years in jail and must also pay $480,300 in restitution under the sentence imposed Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Riverside man had pleaded guilty last June to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Angulo was involved in a ring that installed wireless devices on cash registers at about 80 Michaels' arts-and-crafts stores in 19 states, including New Jersey.

(Photo courtesy Cinnaminson PD)

The conspirators stole 94,000 credit and debit card account numbers between February and April 2011 and used that information to create counterfeit bank cards that were used to withdraw money using ATMs from hundreds of bank accounts.

Angulo and accomplice Crystal Banuelos, of Bloomington, Calif., were arrested in May 2011 and later charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Both pleaded guilty last year.