A Romanian national, Doru Adamesc, also known as "Petru Golban," has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The plea was entered on February 13, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown in New Orleans.

Court documents reveal that on May 19 and May 20, 2024, Adamesc and an accomplice engaged in fraudulent activities at retail stores. While the accomplice distracted cashiers, Adamesc installed card skimmers on credit card machines. He was apprehended on June 5, 2024, when he attempted to retrieve a skimming device from one of the stores. During a search of his vehicle, authorities found two large magnets used for activating Bluetooth capabilities on skimming devices. Additionally, a photo showing approximately 60 gift cards was discovered on one of his phones; these cards are often re-encoded with stolen numbers for fraudulent transactions.

Law enforcement officials seized six credit card skimmers from Adamesc before he could collect them. These devices had captured data from around 421 credit, debit, and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

Adamesc is facing up to seven and a half years in prison along with up to three years of supervised release. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and will have to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is set for May 22, 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson commended the collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies including Special Agents from the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service; Deputies from several Parish Sheriff's Offices; and Officers from the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni is leading the prosecution.