Man accused of stealing money from Michaels' customer accounts in New Jersey is sentenced to prison

A thief proficient at stealing confidential bank information received a three-year prison sentence for his part in a 2011 conspiracy that netted more than $420,000 by using the information taken from customers who used ATM and credit cards at Michaels craft stores in various states, including New Jersey.

Angel Angulo, 27, of Riverside, Calif., appeared Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden for sentencing. In June, Angulo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for his role in stealing account information for approximately 94,000 credit and debit cards, according to court records.

Angulo and Crystal Banuelos of Bloomington, Calif., who also pleaded guilty in the case, surreptitiously installed 88 electronic devices that recorded bank account information and PINs from terminals at stores operated by Michaels in New Jersey and 18 other states, according to court documents. Each  device was equipped with wireless technology that allowed Angulo, Banuelos, and others to retrieve bank information.

The information then was used to produce counterfeit bank cards and withdraw money from the compromised bank accounts from February 2011 to April 2011. At the time they were caught in May 2011, the two had 179 counterfeit cards in New Jersey, according to court records.

Had he not entered a plea agreement, Angulo could have faced 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. In addition to the three-year prison term, the judge sentenced Angulo to five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay restitution of $480,300.

Banuelos is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 5.