Alin Carabus Pleads Guilty in $5M ATM Skimming Scheme

A massive ATM skimming operation that siphoned at least $5 million from Citibank, TD Bank, Wells Fargo, and other financial institutions has taken down another key player: Alin Carabus, 42, a Romanian national who pleaded guilty today in Newark federal court. Carabus admitted to installing hidden card readers and pinhole cameras on ATMs across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Florida, harvesting thousands of customers’ account details for criminal use.

Carabus, extradited to the U.S. after being arrested in Spain, admitted his role in a conspiracy led by fellow Romanian national Marius Vintila, 34. The trio — including Bogdan Radu, 34 — built and deployed sophisticated skimming devices capable of capturing both card data and PINs as unsuspecting customers conducted routine banking. The devices were planted on ATMs and retrieved days later, loaded with stolen information ready to be weaponized.

Using the compromised data, the ring cloned thousands of fraudulent ATM cards, which members used to drain accounts across the country. The scheme, one of the largest ATM skimming operations ever dismantled by law enforcement, spanned multiple states and exploited vulnerabilities in everyday banking infrastructure. Authorities estimate the losses exceed $5 million, with thousands of customers affected.

Charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, Carabus now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini set sentencing for February 23, 2017. The case is part of a broader crackdown that has already seen 15 of 16 defendants convicted, including ringleader Vintila and device builder Radu.

The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service, Newark Field Office, under Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), led by Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola. Their joint probe dismantled the network through surveillance, forensic analysis, and international coordination that tracked the group’s digital and financial footprints across borders.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Agarwal of the Special Prosecutions Division and David M. Eskew of the Criminal Division handled the prosecution. Carabus was represented by Joseph M. Corazza, Esq., of Sparta, New Jersey. The case underscores the evolving threat of organized, tech-enabled financial crime — and the federal resolve to hunt it down.