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SKIMMING SCAM
JACKSON, MS – A Romanian national, Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 23, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for installing skimming devices at various stores in central Mississippi.
Radu and his co-defendants, Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, were accused of installing skimmers on point-of-sale machines across the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana between June and July 2024.
The skimmers were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, stored the skimmed card data, were Bluetooth capable for remote connectivity, and were powered by lithium batteries.
According to court documents, Radu was primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data from the skimmers, while Gheorghe and Neacsu would install the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card.
The stolen data included SNAP benefits totaling over $85,000, for which the defendants will be required to pay restitution. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget.
The investigation, led by the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, began receiving reports from various agencies in June 2024 regarding the discovery of skimmer devices at various stores in central Mississippi.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement of Radu’s sentencing.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison.
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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