Romanian Nationals Admit to Racketeering Conspiracy, ATM Skimming

Romanian nationals pleaded guilty in federal court for their involvement with an ATM skimming scheme and a conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through racketeering activity, which is also commonly known as RICO conspiracy, the DoJ reported today.

The defendants, who range from 19 to 27 years old, were indicted in May 2017 with five other defendants whose whereabouts are currently unknown. All but one were members of the Hornea Crew and engaged in ATM skimming. Over 18 months, they installed skimming devices and made unauthorized withdrawals in seven states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and New Hampshire.

Six defendants pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices. Three also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy; of those, two pleaded guilty to possession of device making equipment and one pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. One pleaded guilty to both conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices and money laundering conspiracy.

Read more details here.