Suspected pump skimmer rolled from Houston to LA

In January, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives received several complaints from various financial institutions in reference to a possible bank fraud taking place in the Lake Charles area.

During the investigation, it was learned two suspects were making fraudulent ATM transactions at local convenience stores throughout the parish, as well as purchasing gift cards with fraudulent debit cards at local grocery stores. Detectives viewed numerous surveillance videos from the locations in which the transactions had taken place and observed the same two suspects responsible for making the fraudulent charges, investigators reveal. During further investigation, detectives learned there were approximately 62 victims of identity theft and a total of approximately $23,000 had been stolen.  

March 1, CPSO detectives learned one of the possible suspects was at a local business making ATM withdrawals and law enforcement was able to obtain a description of the suspect’s truck. A short time later, the truck was located at a different gas station nearby.

Detectives made contact with the suspect, Nasquier Perz-Cardona, 30, of Houston, and observed him to be one of the men seen in the surveillance videos. He was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with three counts of bank fraud and 62 counts of identity theft. He was released the following day on a $46,000 bond set by Judge Tony Fazzio.

Detectives believe the suspects possibly obtained the victims’ debit card numbers from a fuel pump skimming device. The investigation is continuing and more charges and arrests are likely, according to CPSO Detective Edward Curol, the lead investigator on this case.