Sun Valley man pleads guilty to burglary, stealing credit card info

A 29-year-old Sun Valley man pleaded guilty today tofelony charges for using an electronic skimmer to steal account informationfrom customers at a Chase bank branch in La Quinta.

Vahe Ruben Yerkanyan pleaded guilty to one count each of burglary,forging an access card and using personal information to obtain credit and wasimmediately sentenced to 270 days in custody and three years probation.

Yerkanyan was also ordered to pay a total of about $4,500 in restitutionto six victims, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.Under the plea deal, 13 other counts were dismissed.

Yerkanyan was arrested May 14 at a Chase branch at 74-930 Country ClubDrive in Palm Desert, where he was trying to use the stolen information to getcash.

Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Steve DaSilva said that two days beforethe arrest was made, Yerkanyan went into a vestibule at the Chase branch at 78-805 Highway 111 in La Quinta on three occasions, installing and removing askimming device.

A security guard at the Palm Desert bank later alerted law enforcementthat someone was trying to use stolen account information there, DaSilva said.