Arrest Made in ATM Card Skimming Case

The man wanted in connection with an August in Pasco County was arrested earlier this week in Okaloosa County.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says Alexander Micotin, 23, is responsible for placing a skimmer on a walk-up ATM at the Bank of America location at 4539 Bartelt Rd. in Holiday. That scheme has compromised at least 44 accounts and defrauded cardholders of more than $26,000 combined, Pasco detectives say.

A skimmer is a device used to copy credit or debit card information and transfer it onto a clone card.

The sheriff’s office released an image of the Micotin in late August in hopes of catching him.

Micotin was arrested in Okaloosa County on Sept. 12 on an outstanding Pasco County warrant. He was released into Pasco County custody and booked into the Land O’ Lakes Jail on Sept. 16.

According to sheriff’s office spokesman Kevin Doll, Micotin’s arrest is likely just the first. Doll said a statewide investigation is ongoing, and it is believed there might be an organized ring involved.

Micotin, who has no known address, was charged with two counts of criminal use of personal identification information, three counts of possession of a scanning device, four counts of grand theft and organized fraud.

He was being held at the Land O’ Lakes Jail on Friday on $70,000 bond. A native Russian from Moldova, Micotin also has a hold placed on him by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.