Suspect Accused Of Stealing From Bank ATMs In Trumbull: Feds

Trumbull CT

29 March, 2022

9:03 AM

Description

TRUMBULL, CT — A 50-year-old citizen of Romania pleaded guilty Monday to an offense stemming from his participation in an extensive ATM skimming scheme that defrauded banks in Trumbull and other Connecticut communities, according to U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle. Nicolae Marius Barbu pleaded guilty via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Sheain in June. According to court documents and statements, between February and June 2017, a Connecticut bank experienced approximately 35 incidents of ATM skimming at locations in Trumbull, in addition to sites in Monroe, Stratford, Greenwich, Fairfield and elsewhere in Connecticut. As part of the scheme, conspiracy members placed skimming devices at the ATMs to capture account numbers and personal identification numbers ("PINs") from customers who used their ATM cards at the ATMs while the devices were in place. Conspiracy members then used the captured information to make substitute ATM cards, and obtained money and made purchases using those cards. Barbu joined this conspiracy in April 2017, according to prosecutors. In addition, in April 2018, Barbu and another individual stole credit cards from an individual's belongings at a gym in Rockville, Maryland, and then used the cards to make more than $9,000 in purchases at Microsoft and Apple stores in Maryland. Barbu was arrested in Michigan in June 2021, and he has been detained since his arrest. He has agreed to pay restitution of $139,533 to the victim bank, and $9,536 to the banks that issued the credit cards used for his fraudulent purchases. The fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. This investigation has been conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force; the U.S. Secret Service in New Haven and Las Vegas;the Greenwich Police Department; the Monroe Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and several local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.