Two Bronx Men Arrested in Identity Theft Case in Darien and Fairfield

When a Chase Bank investigator from the Phoenix, AZ office called Darien police to say that someone tried several times to get money out of ATM machines at two Noroton Heights banks, town police didn’t catch the suspect in time.

But Fairfield police arrested two men at an ATM in that town using the same bank card, Darien police say.

Darien police gave this account (accusations not proven in court) of the matter:

At some point on Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Chase Bank investigator called Darien police to report the attempts to get money from the cards at both the Chase Bank at 165 Noroton Ave. and the Citibank at 40 Heights Rd. (just around the corner). Both banks are close to the Interstate 95 exits and entrances.

Police didn’t find anyone suspicious, but later that day Fairfield police arrested two men at an ATM vestibule. They were in possession of multiple bank cards and cash. Each was wearing a hoodie and had gloves on. ATMs at banks typically are under video surveillance.

Mirko Martinelli, 24, of 760 Grand Concourse (an apartment building), Bronx, NY, and Mario Pena, 22, of 2604 University Pl., Bronx, NY, were each arrested by Fairfield police.

Martinelli was charged with criminal impersonation, three counts of sixth-degree larceny, attempted sixth-degree larceny, fraudulent use of an automatic teller machine, illegal reproduction of a credit card and 16 counts of identity theft.

Pena received a somewhat different set of charges: criminal impersonation, 12 counts of identity theft, illegal reproduction of a credit card and 11 counts of attempted sixth-degree larceny.

Each appeared in state Superior Court in Bridgeport, and each was released on $1,500 bond, with a return date of Oct. 8.