JACKSON, MS — Bogdan Gabriel Radu, a 23-year-old Romanian national, was handed down a 15-month federal prison sentence yesterday for his involvement in a skimming scheme that struck across the Southern District of Mississippi. Radu’s co-defendants, Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, were sentenced to similar terms on April 15, 2025.
The trio, all Romanian nationals who entered the United States illegally, were caught on surveillance video placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in central Mississippi. These devices captured bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, with Radu primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data.
Among the information skimmed was over $85,000 in SNAP benefits, designed to support low-income families. The stolen funds were traced back to skimming devices in Mississippi and used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Radu and his cohorts face restitution for these stolen benefits.
Gheorghe and Neacsu were initially charged on August 2, 2024, with a federal grand jury indictment following on August 13. A superseding indictment was filed on November 6, adding Radu as a codefendant. The trio may face deportation upon release from prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Cyber Fraud Task Force, a partnership between the United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Samuel Goff prosecuted the case, ensuring justice for the victims of this sophisticated skimming operation.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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