Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu have each been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison following their involvement in possession of skimmer devices used to capture bank card information. Bogdan Gabriel Radu has pleaded guilty to a similar charge and awaits sentencing. All three individuals, Romanian nationals, reportedly entered the United States illegally.
According to court documents, skimmer devices started appearing in central Mississippi stores beginning June 21, 2024, sparking an investigation by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division. Surveillance footage captured Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu placing skimmers on point-of-sale terminals, which were then used to record sensitive card data. The devices operated with Bluetooth connectivity, powering through lithium batteries, and used for gathering data, including over $85,000 in SNAP benefits.
Authorities filed a criminal complaint against Gheorghe and Neacsu on August 2, 2024, with an indictment following on August 13, 2024. A superseding indictment added Radu on November 6, 2024. Scheduled for sentencing on July 15, 2025, Radu faces a potential 15-year prison term. Illegally entering the United States, the defendants may face deportation upon completing their sentences.
“This scheme stretched across the United States and was clearly targeting families that rely on financial assistance to put food on the table,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch, commending various agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service, for their role in halting the fraud.
Patrick A. Lemon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, joined U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch in making the announcement. The partnership of the Cyber Fraud Task Force and agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case. The Cyber Fraud Task Force emphasized caution with card use, advising methods to decrease the risk of fraud, including using tap to pay or chip readers and being observant of device consistency in stores.
