Chicago, IL – A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for his role in a brazen ATM card-skimming scheme that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting victims.
Florin Nicolae Tarta, 40, of Satu Mare, Romania, was sentenced to six years and nine months in federal prison on Sept. 10, 2025, for his part in installing card-skimming devices on ATMs in Chicago and New Jersey. The devices, which consisted of a metallic plate on which a card reader, memory chip, and battery had been affixed, were used to capture financial account information from users’ cards.
Tarta and his co-schemers also placed a pinhole camera near the ATM’s keypad to record ATM users inputting their PINs. The stolen data was then used to create counterfeit gift cards, which were used to withdraw cash at various banks. Losses from the unauthorized transactions totaled $177,280.
The scheme came to an end in March 2024 when law enforcement located the hidden camera on an ATM in Westfield, N.J. Tarta was arrested when he returned to the ATM.
A jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this year convicted Tarta of bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges.
Two co-defendants, Leonid Grigore Smetanca, 45, of Satu Mare, Romania, and Radu Farcas, 42, of London, England, pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced in the case. Smetanca was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, while Farcas was sentenced to two and a half years.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta praised the cooperative efforts of law enforcement agencies that brought the case to a close.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum that Tarta repeatedly engaged in criminal conduct that imposes an enormous toll on the U.S. economy. ‘Card skimming is a widespread problem plaguing financial institutions and consumers,’ Hayes stated.
Related Federal Cases
- Bogdan Viorel Rusu, ATM Skimming, NJ 2023 · Washington
- Bogdan Viorel Rusu, ATM Skimming Scheme, NJ 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Brazilian National Liene Tavares DeBarros Sentenced for Illegal Reentry and Green Card Fraud · Illinois
- Twelve Individuals Charged with ATM Skimming Conspiracy, New Jersey 2016 · New York
- Joel Abel Garcia, ATM Skimming Conspiracy, New Jersey 2017 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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