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September 7, 2007

Update: 2 of 4 ATM scanner scammers sentenced

PROVIDENCE – Two of the four men arrested for using fake ATM card scanners to steal shoppers’ card information were sentenced in U.S. District Court today.

Arman Ter-Esayan will serve six years in federal prison -- a four-year sentence for conspiracy to traffic in unauthorized access devices, plus the minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft -- and three years probation.

Gevork Baltadjian was sentenced to three years and one month for the first charge and two years for the second. He was also given a three-year probation sentence.

A previous story incorrectly reported amount of time Ter-Esayan and Baltadjian would spend in prison.

Both men have to pay about $132,000 in restitution.

The judge will also recommend both men spend their term in a federal prison in southern California, the state where they were living before they flew to Rhode Island.

After his prison sentence, Ter-Esayan, an Armenian national, will be turned over to immigration officials for deportation.

Baltadjian’s lawyer, however, was able to prove that his client – also an Armenian native – was a U.S. citizen.

Also convicted were Arutyun Shatarevyan and Mikael Stepanian. Shartarevyn is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 21 at 9:30 a.m. and Stepanian is scheduled for Nov. 2 sentencing at 2 p.m.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Journal staff writer Paul Grimaldi

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 12:59 PM | Permalink

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