ST. LOUIS – A ruthless gang of Romanian nationals has been handed down harsh sentences for their sinister scheme of installing skimming devices on St. Louis ATMs, a brazen attempt to pilfer bank account details from unsuspecting customers.
The judicial hammer fell on Mihai Vlaicu, 48, and Mihai Florin Marinescu, 38, who were each sentenced to two years in prison. Laurentiu Miguel Ivan, 34, Nelu Nae, 37, and Venera Isabelle Dumitru, 28, have been freed from federal custody after their time awaiting trial was counted against their sentences. All five are poised for deportation once they serve out their terms.
The group, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, had been operating out of an Airbnb in St. Louis County. They were caught with a laptop brimming with hundreds of videos capturing customers entering their PINs on compromised ATMs. Also recovered were skimming devices, tools for installation, cash, and a plethora of gift cards.
Their greed led to the theft of approximately $5,200 from 11 victims, money that Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk ordered them to repay. The criminals had been at it since January 2024, with Vlaicu and Marinescu installing skimmers on ATMs in Clayton and Frontenac, while their colleague Nae was involved in the installation of a device in Wildwood.
Despite one unsuccessful attempt by Marinescu in south St. Louis County, they managed to install a skimming device in St. Louis that was discovered and removed by law enforcement on May 28.
This grim tale has been untangled with relentless effort from the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Webster Groves Police Department, the Clayton Police Department, the Frontenac Police Department, and the St. Louis County Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll leading the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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