A Romanian national, Daniel Iulian Teutoc, also known as Simon Mikula, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a card skimming operation targeting Walmart stores across the Eastern District of Louisiana. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Court documents show that Teutoc and his codefendant, Constantin Calin, visited multiple Walmart locations in areas including Laplace, Slidell, Harvey, Boutte, Chalmette, and New Orleans. The two used magnets to activate previously installed card skimmers at various points of sale. These devices captured credit card information and transmitted it electronically to their cell phones. The stolen data from customers’ credit, debit, and EBT cards was then sent to another coconspirator for use in making fraudulent charges.
Teutoc has agreed to pay more than $11 million in restitution to victims as part of his plea agreement. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2026 before Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle acknowledged the investigative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service, New Orleans Police Department, St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, and St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Moses (Healthcare Fraud Coordinator), Paul J. Hubbell (General Crimes Unit), and André Jones (lead OCDETF Narcotics Task Force Attorney).
According to the Department of Justice's statement: "This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
