'Skimming' ringleader sentenced

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - The leader of a so-called skimming ring that stole the account numbers of sailors and civilians at Naval Station Norfolk has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Prosecutors say the 25-year-old defendant, Tiquan Savary, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk on conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges.

The Norfolk man and five co-defendants were indicted last July after Savary recruited a worker at a restaurant on the Navy base to use a "skimmer" to electronically record the account numbers of credit or debit cards. The worker was paid $10 a swipe.

The government said nearly 200 victims had their accounts compromised. The information was later used by Savary and his co-defendants to go on shopping excursions for $163,000 in merchandise.