Accused La Quinta card skimmer pleads not guilty

A 29-year-old man accused of using an electronic skimmerto steal account information from Chase bank customers at a La Quinta branchpleaded not guilty Tuesday to more than a dozen felony charges.

Vahe Ruben Yerkanyan of Sun Valley is charged with 16 counts, includingburglary, forging an access card, using personal information to obtain creditand grand theft of an access card.

Yerkanyan was arraigned at the Larson Justice Center in Indio andremains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail. He is due back in court on June18.

Yerkanyan was arrested a week ago at the Chase branch at 74-930 CountryClub Drive in Palm Desert, where he allegedly was trying to use the stoleninformation to get cash.

Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Steve DaSilva said that two days beforethe arrest was made, the defendant allegedly went into a vestibule at the Chasebranch at 78-805 Highway 111 in La Quinta on three occasions, installing andremoving a skimming device.

Last Tuesday, a security guard at the Palm Desert bank alerted lawenforcement that someone was trying to use stolen account information there, hesaid.

Deputy District Attorney John Rodnick said last week that there are atleast seven to eight alleged victims in the case. He said there is anImmigration and Customs Enforcement hold on Yerkanyan, who is an Armeniancitizen.