Sebastian Bulacu, Florin Radu, and Valentin Cristian Alexandru, all Romanian nationals found in Oklahoma City, were sentenced on Aug. 3 for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, Bulacu, 37; Radu, 42; and Alexandru, 36, traveled throughout the Oklahoma City metro area in January 2025 installing skimming devices on ATMs. These devices captured debit card information and recorded customers’ personal identification numbers (PINs), enabling the defendants to access victims’ bank accounts and steal funds. The scheme resulted in an estimated $193,598 in losses across the country.
A federal grand jury charged the defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud on September 2, 2025. Earlier this year, all three pleaded guilty and admitted conspiring to obtain money through bank fraud. At sentencing hearings this week before U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick, Bulacu and Radu received sentences of 51 months each in federal prison, while Alexandru was sentenced to serve 41 months. Each defendant was ordered to pay $193,598 in restitution. Upon completion of their sentences, they will be deported.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista L. Hodges-Eckhoff prosecuted it.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations as well as protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma advances public safety through enforcement of federal laws and covers 40 counties across western and central parts of Oklahoma as part of the United States Department of Justice; it also collaborates on initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Safe Childhood to enhance community safety, according to the official website.