ATM Skimmer Marin Admits $428K Fraud

NEWARK, N.J. – A sophisticated ATM skimming operation targeting banks across New Jersey has cracked, with Radu Bogdan Marin, 36, of Glendale, New York, admitting guilt in federal court today. Marin, a Romanian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in a scheme that pilfered at least $428,581 from unsuspecting customers of PNC and Bank of America.

The bust, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, and Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola, marks the first conviction in a case involving 13 defendants. Marin’s admission details a calculated effort to illegally obtain customer account information – account numbers and, crucially, PINs – using concealed card-reading devices and pinhole cameras affixed to ATMs.

Court documents and statements reveal that between March 2015 and July 2016, Marin and his co-conspirators utilized counterfeit ATM cards loaded with stolen data to drain compromised accounts. They systematically hit ATMs throughout New Jersey, conducting fraudulent cash withdrawals. While the total take exceeded $428,581, investigators directly linked $39,140 of the stolen funds to Marin’s personal involvement.

This wasn’t a smash-and-grab; it was a sustained, organized effort. The crew deployed over ten fraudulent ATM cards to maximize their haul, moving between locations to evade detection. The investigation, a collaborative effort between multiple agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, and several local police departments, painstakingly pieced together the evidence.

Marin now faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Judge Esther Salas has scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2017. The investigation extended beyond New Jersey, with assistance from the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, District Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of New York and the District of Massachusetts Springfield Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Graves and Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey are prosecuting the case.

Defense counsel Gary Mizzone Esq. of Little Falls, New Jersey, represented Marin. While Marin is the first to plead guilty, the remaining defendants still face charges, and authorities indicate the investigation remains ongoing. This case serves as a stark reminder of the ever-present threat of financial fraud and the lengths criminals will go to exploit vulnerabilities in our banking system.