Andrei Bogdan Arteni, Public Assistance Benefits Theft, California 2024

A San Diego man has been arrested and charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in public-assistance benefits from low-income families in Southern California.

According to a complaint filed in the Southern District of California, Andrei Bogdan Arteni of Romania conspired to steal public-assistance benefits from low-income families between October 2023 and March 2024. The thefts resulted in losses exceeding $580,000.

Arteni and his co-conspirators installed skimming devices at point-of-sale terminals in grocery stores and large-volume retailers in communities with higher concentrations of public benefit recipients. The data skimmed from government-issued benefit cards, known as EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards, was then re-encoded onto the magnetic strips of fraudulent cards that they used to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized ATM withdrawals over the course of several months.

Arteni was arrested in Santa Ana yesterday in connection with the thefts. He was ordered detained and will appear in federal court in San Diego for his next hearing.

Authorities served court-authorized search warrants at two storage units in National City and Newport Beach, and Romanian authorities served warrants on 10 residences across Romania. U.S. federal authorities seized more than $550,000 in cash, jewelry, and skimming devices. Romanian authorities seized two properties in the cities of Iași and Podu Iloaiei, along with more than $190,000 and €200,000 cash.

“Stealing public assistance funds from those who need it most takes greed to a new depth,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “With this case, we are enforcing laws designed to protect the security of electronic payment devices and ensure public confidence in everyday transactions.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald Sou and David Kete. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the National City Police Department, and Romanian authorities, including Romania Public Ministry Prosecutor’s Office of DIICOT – Galați Territorial Service, Galați and Iași Police-Organized Crime Brigades.

If you or someone you know has had your EBT benefits stolen, San Diego County’s Department of Health & Human Services Agency requires that the theft be reported within 10 days. More information for San Diego County victims is available at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/gov/dehs/HumanServices/EBTFraudReporting.html

Defendant: Andrei Bogdan Arteni, Conspired to steal public-assistance benefits, California, 2024. The defendant has been ordered detained and will appear in federal court in San Diego for his next hearing.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/man-arrested-and-charged-stealing-benefits-low-income-families