Debit card fraud does not always show up as one strange purchase on a statement. In this case, federal prosecutors said the stolen information was turned into cash again and again at ATMs around Montgomery, Alabama.
Eric Kendrie Shuler, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that drained more than $214,000 from credit union accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Prosecutors said Shuler and co-defendant Kyara Ivelisse Rosario-Berenguer illegally obtained debit cards and account information belonging to members of a local credit union. The pair then used the information to make approximately 201 unauthorized ATM withdrawals in and around Montgomery.
During their guilty-plea hearings, both defendants admitted that 138 withdrawals were made on a single day in September 2024. Those withdrawals alone totaled $190,250.
The Cash Came Out Through ATMs Around Montgomery
The scheme took place in the fall of 2024 and targeted members of a local credit union. Federal court records said Shuler and Rosario-Berenguer conspired to obtain debit cards and the account information connected to them.
Prattville Police, which opened the original investigation, said suspects obtained a Guardian Credit Union member’s card information and created a fraudulent debit card that could access the victim’s account.
The withdrawals were not limited to one account or one machine. Prosecutors said the unauthorized ATM activity in and around Montgomery reached $214,757 before the case was over.
One Day Accounted for Most of the Loss
Shuler and Rosario-Berenguer admitted that they used unlawfully obtained debit cards and account information to make 138 ATM withdrawals on one day in September 2024.
The total from that day was $190,250. That left only about $24,500 of the overall loss tied to the rest of the scheme.
The Prattville Police Department’s earlier release said one Guardian Credit Union member reported that $190,250 had been withdrawn from Prattville and Montgomery locations. A second victim later reported a $73 withdrawal from her account.
Officers Found Them Back at the Credit Union
On Sept. 8, 2024, Prattville officers spotted Shuler and Rosario-Berenguer and tried to make contact. Police had earlier reported that the suspects were at a Guardian Credit Union branch on Main Street in Prattville and were in the process of withdrawing money from multiple accounts.
The encounter did not end at the branch. Prosecutors said both defendants fled in a vehicle, and Shuler drove through traffic on Interstates 65 and 85 at speeds reaching at least 140 mph.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Shuler drove around numerous vehicles, changed lanes recklessly, ran red lights, and drove on the wrong side of the road before crashing into a guardrail near the Perry Hill Road exit on I-85 in Montgomery.
Shuler continued resisting after the crash but was taken into custody, prosecutors said. Prattville Police said one officer was injured during the arrest.
Shuler Will Serve Federal Prison Time Without Parole
Shuler pleaded guilty April 28 to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. A federal judge sentenced him Aug. 12 to 87 months in prison.
After the prison term, Shuler will serve three years of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that there is no parole in the federal system.
The court also ordered Shuler to pay $214,757 in restitution jointly and severally with Rosario-Berenguer. That means the two defendants are collectively responsible for repaying the full amount.
His Co-Defendant Was Sentenced Earlier
Rosario-Berenguer, 30, of Reading, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. She was sentenced May 28 to 24 months in federal prison.
She was also ordered to pay the same $214,757 in restitution jointly and severally with Shuler.
The U.S. Secret Service and Prattville Police investigated the federal case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Montgomery Police Department.
Debit Card Victims Need to Move Quickly
ATM withdrawals can empty an account before a victim sees the pattern. Anyone who spots an unfamiliar ATM withdrawal should contact the bank or credit union immediately, lock or cancel the card, and ask whether any replacement card, PIN change, address change, digital-wallet enrollment, or new device was added to the account.
Victims should keep screenshots of account activity, ATM withdrawal dates, fraud alerts, card-replacement notices, text messages, emails, police report numbers, and any bank letters showing provisional credits or denied claims.
If several withdrawals appear close together, the account holder should ask the financial institution to preserve ATM records and location data. A quick report can also help the bank or credit union separate fraudulent withdrawals from legitimate activity before more money leaves the account.