A Romanian citizen living in Hollywood was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a scheme that skimmed tens of thousands of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards from ATMs and point-of-sale terminals across California and New York.
Catalin-Marius Graur, 43, received the sentence from United States District Judge Mark Scarsi. In addition to the prison term, Graur was ordered to pay $165,697 in restitution.
Graur pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2020 but did not leave when his visa expired. Authorities said he traveled throughout Los Angeles and the Inland Empire installing advanced skimming devices at various locations to capture account information from unsuspecting users.
Law enforcement arrested Graur in June 2024 at an Airbnb rental apartment in New York City. At the time of his arrest, officers found more than $37,000 in cash and 1,488 stolen access device numbers.
Investigators determined that Graur worked with several members of a transnational criminal organization based in Romania. A search warrant executed at an accomplice’s residence revealed evidence that Graur had sent over 36,000 stolen EBT card numbers during a three-year period.
The recipients targeted by this scheme rely on EBT cards for benefits intended to assist low-income households with essential needs such as housing and food.
Multiple agencies were involved in investigating this case: the FBI, United States Secret Service, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Social Services, and Romanian National Police.
"Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case."
