Two arrested for alleged credit card skimming

Mt. Pleasant police have arrested two men suspected of using credit card skimmers at a gas station, stealing credit card data and using cloned cards to purchase gift cards.

Police served a search warrant on a residence in Ottumwa and found a credit card reader, notes with card numbers and three “illegally purchased gift cards,” according to a news release from Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Lyle Murray.

Police said they arrested two men, Erlian A. Gonzalez, 35, and Juan M. Almenares Morales, 56. Both men live in Ottumwa and were formerly from Miami, Florida.

The men were charged with ongoing criminal conduct and illegal use of a scanning device. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible, police said.

“Local banks have been great in providing illegal transactions on the cloned cards to law enforcement,” Murray said. He added that Aldi’s, Hy-Vee and Walmart assisted in the investigation.

The Mt. Pleasant police were assisted by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office and the Ottumwa Police Department.