A Brazilian national pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this week in federal court in Boston in connection with an ATM skimming operation.

Karem Kawamura, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the use of a counterfeit access device and was immediately sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (three months) and one year of supervised release. Kawamura has agreed to be deported.

Kawamura and her husband, Alexandre Kawamura, entered the U.S. on six-month tourist visas in November 2017. They traveled to Texas, where, with his wife’s knowledge, Alexandre Kawamura placed skimming devices on ATMs in several cities. They traveled to the Boston area in January, and Karem Kawamura checked them into a hotel in Chelsea using a fake ID with the alias “Sheyla Porto.”

She used this alias to receive two packages from Brazil, each containing ATM skimming equipment. Alexandre Kawamura rented a storage unit in Everett using a fake ID with the alias “Alex Justo.” With his wife’s knowledge, he used the storage unit to store ATM skimming equipment. Also with his wife’s knowledge, between Feb. 24 and March 15, 2018, Alexandre Kawamura placed skimming devices on drive-up ATMs at Eastern Bank branches in Saugus, Medford, Stoneham and Malden.

The Kawamuras shopped at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Medford on March 16, 2018. Alexandre Kawamura went to the register and used a credit card bearing his “Alex Justo” alias to pay for a shirt, jacket and hat. The magnetic strip on the card contained a victim’s stolen bank account information, which Karem Kawamura knew about. Alexandre Kawamura was arrested later that day and is facing federal charges. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Karem Kawamura was arrested two weeks after her husband.