An Ottumwa man has been convicted for a card skimming operation in Henry County.

Court records show 36-year-old Erlian Arias Gonzalez pleaded guilty to illegal use of a scanning device, a class D felony, and was given a suspended five-year prison sentence to be placed on five years of probation. Gonzalez must pay a $1,025 fine plus applicable surcharges and shall be given credit for time already served. He must also pay any pecuniary damages filed. A judgment was not entered on a class B felony charge of ongoing criminal conduct.

The charges stemmed from incidents that occurred in May of 2021. Gonzalez and 57-year-old Juan Manuel Almenares Morales were arrested after the Mount Pleasant Police Department shut down a credit card skimming operation at a local gas station. Three skimming devices were seized and local banks were contacted. A search warrant was then executed at an Ottumwa residence where a credit card reader, notes with card numbers and three illegally purchased gift cards were found. Almenares Morales’ case remains ongoing. KCII will bring you more information as it becomes official.