Nicolae Gindac, Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud, Maryland 2021

Greenbelt, Maryland – A brazen scheme to steal over 2,000 checks intended for religious institutions has come to an end with the guilty plea of Nicolae Gindac, a 52-year-old Romanian national.

Gindac, of Dania Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The scheme, which lasted from at least June 2018 to January 2021, involved Gindac and six co-conspirators stealing and negotiating checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions.

According to his plea agreement, Gindac’s co-conspirators executed the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes and directly removing the mail from the religious institutions’ mailboxes. Gindac and his co-conspirators then opened fraudulent bank accounts at several victim financial institutions under false identities and negotiated stolen checks by way of ATMs.

Gindac deposited stolen checks into fraudulent bank accounts held in the names of his family members, including a minor family member who had not yet attained 18 years of age, and others. Gindac and his co-conspirators subsequently withdrew the stolen funds and spent them using debit cards associated with fraudulently opened bank accounts and other bank accounts.

As part of the scheme, Gindac deposited or was present for the depositing of at least $64,811.03 into 13 fraudulent accounts. The accounts that Gindac deposited into received at least approximately $139,057.58 from 143 stolen checks. In total, the conspiracy received at least approximately $1,065,282.53 from 2,477 stolen checks.

Gindac faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for August 31, 2021, at 2 p.m.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.

This case is part of an ongoing effort to identify and prosecute individuals who engage in crimes against financial institutions. The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

Nicolae Gindac’s guilty plea comes on the heels of a similar case involving co-defendant Daniel Velcu, who is scheduled for a guilty plea on July 2, 2021, at 9 a.m.

Related Federal Cases