HARTFORD, CT – A 50-year-old Romanian national, NICOLAE MARIUS BARBU, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison today for his role in a widespread ATM skimming operation that targeted banks throughout Connecticut. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea delivered the sentence in Hartford after Barbu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Between February and June 2017, a Connecticut bank was repeatedly hit by skimmers – devices secretly installed on ATMs to steal account numbers and PINs. Investigators documented approximately 35 incidents in Stratford, Monroe, Trumbull, Greenwich, Fairfield, and other locations. Barbu joined the conspiracy in April 2017, becoming part of a crew that manufactured fraudulent ATM cards using the stolen data. These cards were then used to drain accounts and fund illicit purchases.
The scheme wasn’t limited to Connecticut. In April 2018, Barbu and an accomplice brazenly stole credit cards from a gym-goer in Rockville, Maryland. They wasted no time putting the stolen cards to work, racking up over $9,000 in purchases at Microsoft and Apple stores across the state. This demonstrated a clear pattern of sophisticated and coordinated criminal activity.
Federal prosecutors detailed the extent of the damage during sentencing, requesting significant restitution. Judge Shea ordered Barbu to pay $139,533 to the Connecticut bank victimized by the skimming scheme and an additional $9,536 to the banks that issued the fraudulently used credit cards. The financial toll on both institutions and individual account holders was substantial.
Barbu’s criminal journey didn’t end with the federal charges. He was initially arrested in Michigan in September 2020 and subsequently pleaded guilty to state offenses related to credit card theft and possession of forged identification. He has been detained since his arrest, awaiting sentencing in the federal case. Upon completion of his 21-month federal sentence, Barbu will face immigration proceedings, likely resulting in deportation.
The investigation was a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service, with significant assistance from the Greenwich and Monroe Police Departments, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and numerous other local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King prosecuted the case, securing the conviction and sentence against Barbu.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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