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Lexington Man Sentenced for Role in Transnational Cybercrime Scheme
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Romanian national was sentenced to 89 months in prison for his role in a transnational, multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud American victims.
Ionut-Razvan Sandu, 35, of Romania, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to commit a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) offense.
The crime involved a sophisticated syndicate that stole directly from the pockets of hard-working Americans and used digital currency to launder their ill-gotten gains.
Sandu is the 24th member of the organized criminal group to be sentenced, of the 28 who were charged.
Other defendants pleaded guilty to this offense and were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy, including Rafael-Liviu Cucu, 33, of Romania, to 61 months; Alexandru-Catalin Calin, 40, of Romania, to 61 months; Ciprian-Ionut Filip, 37, of Romania, to 70 months; and Gabriel Constantin Georgescu, 37, of Romania, to 63 months.
‘This highly organized and sophisticated syndicate stole directly from the pockets of hard-working Americans,’ said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. ‘The criminals then used digital currency to launder their ill-gotten gains.’
The scheme targeted working-class Americans through online auction and sales websites, such as eBay, and involved the use of fictitious online accounts, stolen identities, and call centers to impersonate customer support.
The defendants used several tactics to convince victims to send money for the advertised goods, including impersonating a military member who needed to sell the advertised item before deployment.
The transnational crime syndicate caused victims across the United States to lose millions of dollars, highlighting the need for cooperation and coordination among law enforcement to protect Americans against organized cybercrime.
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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