What looked like a routine grocery run in West Miami ended with two men in handcuffs on Monday, after police say they were caught on camera slipping a skimming device onto a credit-card terminal at a neighborhood supermarket. According to investigators, surveillance footage shows one man keeping the cashier busy while the other quietly attached the device. Officers later removed the skimmer and took both suspects into custody.
Video Shows Aluminum Tray Distraction, Plastic-Wrapped Fingers
West Miami police say store cameras recorded 45-year-old Pylip Vionov holding a large aluminum tray over the checkout counter, blocking the cashier’s view, while 41-year-old Anton Levkun allegedly placed a skimming device on a point-of-sale card reader. An officer discovered and removed the device and reported that Levkun had clear plastic wrap covering all ten fingertips, which he discarded at the scene. Police say they found the pair walking nearby and arrested them. Both now face charges including unlawful use of a scanning device or reencoder and organized scheme to defraud, with bond set at $5,000 each, as reported by Local 10.
Neighborhood Market On SW Eighth Street
Investigators say the skimming device was attached to a register at Sabor Tropical supermarket, listed at 6190 SW 8th St in West Miami. Mapping and directory listings place the grocery in a small commercial strip serving nearby residents. For an exact map and store details, see the listing on MapQuest.
Skimming Keeps Popping Up, From Markets To EBT Cards
Authorities across South Florida have recently been chasing a string of skimming and EBT-related fraud cases, underscoring how often these schemes resurface and how many different types of stores can be targeted. Earlier this month, prosecutors in Davie announced charges in an alleged EBT skimming case, according to NBC6. Officials say shoppers can protect themselves by watching for signs of tampering, such as a loose or misaligned card reader, a wobbly card slot, or broken security seals. The Federal Trade Commission offers detailed guidance on spotting skimmers and what to do if you think your card was hit.
Booking, Charges And What Victims Should Do Next
Authorities booked Vionov into the Miami-Dade corrections system at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, which handles initial inmate processing, according to county corrections information. The arrests are based on the police report and charges filed by West Miami officers, and the two men are expected to appear in court as the case proceeds. Anyone who believes their card may have been compromised at the store is urged to contact their bank immediately, monitor recent transactions, and file a police report; additional information on the county system and inmate processing is available through Miami-Dade Corrections.
