Two Romanian nationals are now in prison after illegally installing card skimmers in multiple Mississippi stores and then using people’s information to purchase items in other states.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe, 28, and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, 29, were both sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. Their codefendant, Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 22, pleaded guilty to the same charge and is awaiting a sentencing date.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation was launched by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Division in June 2024 after multiple reports of skimmers being located at stores throughout the central part of the state. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that led to Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu.
The trio was spotted on security footage installing the skimmers at point-of-sale machines in Mississippi in June and July 2024. The battery-powered skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers via Bluetooth. The criminals installed the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card.
Georghe, Neacsu, and Radu were also found to have installed skimmers at locations in Tennessee and Louisiana. As part of the scam, they stole over $85,000 in SNAP benefits intended for low-income families before using the benefits themselves in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
“This scheme stretched across the United States and was clearly targeting families that rely on financial assistance to put food on the table,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said. “I am grateful to…the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their partnership throughout this investigation. Together, we were able to stop international criminals from defrauding Mississippi taxpayers and protect these benefits for those who need them most.”
In addition to prison time, the trio will have to pay restitution. The Justice Department confirmed that all three defendants entered the U.S. illegally before the crimes took place.
