Two Romanian men sentenced, one pleads guilty to installing skimmers throughout Mississippi

JACKSON, MS – Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe, 28, and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, 29, were both sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. Their codefendant, Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 22, pleaded guilty today to possession of device-making equipment. All three defendants are Romanian nationals who entered the United States illegally.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, stored the skimmed card data, were Bluetooth capable for remote connectivity, and were powered by lithium batteries. Gheorghe and Neacsu would install the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card. Radu was primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data from the skimmers.

Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $85,000, for which the defendants will be required to pay restitution. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi.

A criminal complaint was filed against Gheorghe and Neacsu on August 2, 2024. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against them on August 13, 2024. Thereafter, a superseding indictment was filed on November 6, 2024, adding Radu as a codefendant. Radu is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison.

“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. “I am grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their partnership throughout this investigation. Together, we were able to stop international criminals from defrauding Mississippi taxpayers and protect these benefits for those who need them the most.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.

The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.

The Cyber Fraud Task Force offered the following tips to keep your bank card data safe:

1. Use terminals that offer tap to pay or chip read capabilities. Avoid swiping cards, if possible.
2. Look at the terminal prior to inserting or using your card in relation to other terminals in the store. Do they look the same? Overlay skimmers will add to the overall dimensions of a terminal.