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Debit Card Skimmer Awaits Prison Term
Calgary Herald - 05/23/08

A man who made debit card skimming devices in his Calgary apartment for export around the world is facing prison.

The Crown and defence agreed Thursday during sentencing arguments that Nicholas Wayne Joehle should spend time behind bars.

Crown prosecutor Jane McClellan said she is seeking three to four years.

"Mr. Joehle had a factory that was designed to produce the one thing you absolutely need to perpetuate card skimming fraud," McClellan said.

"He was producing a device capable of intercepting electronic coding of numbers of ATM cards or credit cards . . . He used a sophisticated way of operating to avoid being detected."

Joehle, 27, was arrested last May following a year-long investigation by Calgary police after he had drawn the attention of the United States Secret Service in 2004.

He pleaded guilty to four charges: two counts of unlawfully exporting devices designed to falsify credit cards, unlawfully possessing a device for falsifying credit cards, and possession of property from the proceeds of crime.

Defence lawyer Kim Ross argued that Joehle should receive a two-year sentence. With double credit for time already spent in custody, he has already served enough, the lawyer said.

When given an opportunity to speak to the court, Joehle minimized his criminal involvement, saying anyone could have built the devices as instructions are readily available on the Internet or from magazines.

He also said he "wasn't planning on doing this for a very long time," but instead would eventually use his skills for legitimate purposes to sell to retail outlets.

McClellan said Joehle used the pseudonym DRON to correspond 86 times with someone he thought was a potential customer, but turned out to be an undercover investigator with the Secret Service. They corresponded via e-mail, discussing skimming equipment, its use and the fact that equipment could be purchased from DRON for $5,000 each.

The Secret Service officer arranged two buys of skimming equipment.

Court heard Joehle also corresponded with potential buyers in the United States, England, France, Georgia and Russia.

He used 10 Internet cafes along the 7th Avenue LRT line to facilitate the sales.

He was finally charged after a search of his apartment in the 900 block of 7th Avenue S.W. unearthed numerous photos and electronic parts of his skimming devices.

Provincial court Judge Barbara Veldhuis will sentence Joehle on June 17.

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