OXFORD, MS – A second Venezuelan man with ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) international gang was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud by United States District Judge Michael P. Mills. Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa, 26, living as an illegal alien in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today to ten months with three years of supervised release. Additionally, he is to pay the victim $47,250 in restitution.
According to court documents, upon release of this prison sentence, the defendant will be surrendered to the custody of ICE for removal from this country..
Commonly known as “Jackpotting,” Canelon-Tiapa, and his co-defendant, Darrin Daza-Segura, travelled throughout Mississippi and reprogrammed bank ATMs to disperse large amounts of cash. They successfully stole $47,000 from ATMs at Mississippi banks and attempted to steal much more. ATM Jackpotting is a significant problem throughout the country and is a known crime commonly perpetrated by members of the Tren de Araqua gang from Venezuela.
Darrin Daza-Segura was previously sentenced to ten months with three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay the victim $47,250 in restitution by Judge Mills.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “This administration has dedicated significant assets to identifying and prosecuting dangerous foreign gangs that have infiltrated our society. Tren de Aragua, originated in Venezuela, has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The fruit of this aggressive approach to gang activity is starting to pay off. Foreign gang members that enter our state and steal from our citizens will pay for their crimes and then be sent home. Thank you to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division and the Secret Service. The citizens of Mississippi are receiving dedicated work and cooperation from federal and state law enforcement officers.”
The Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our Cyber Fraud Task Force, we were able to prevent nearly $180,000 in losses, deprive TdA gang members of money to fund their crimes, and set up the deportation of two criminal illegal aliens," said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. "We are proud to stand with our local, state, and federal partners to stop this criminal scheme in its tracks."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Mississippi — U.S. Department of Justice press release.