BALTIMORE (AP) — A Bulgarian citizen has been sentenced to four years in prison for using ATM skimmers to steal more than $185,000 from more than 160 victims.

Stoycho Lazarov, who lived in Millersville, was also ordered to pay restitution at Friday’s sentencing.

According to his guilty plea, Lazarov, 40, entered the U.S. illegally and took part in an ATM skimming operation throughout Maryland.

By using skimming devices and miniature cameras, Lazarov and others illegally obtained debit and credit card account numbers and personal identification numbers. They then encoded the magnetic strips of plastic cards, such as gift cards, with the information, which they used to make unauthorized cash withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)