PROVIDENCE – A Romanian national present in the United States illegally has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison and will subsequently face deportation proceedings for his role in an elaborate, methodical scheme across at least five states to defraud banks and banking customers, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
For more than two years beginning as early as May 2022, Dumitru Bogdan Pancu, a/k/a Stefano Garioli, a/k/a Leon Vutkus, 40, and others, surreptitiously installed skimming devices on ATMs in multiple states, allowing them to intercept hundreds of ATM customers’ debit card information. Pancu and others used that information to create hundreds of counterfeit debit cards which were used to make unauthorized cash withdrawals, attempted withdrawals, and retail purchases.
Pancu admitted that between May 2022 and July 2024, he and others installed skimming devices on ATMs and stole banking information from unsuspecting banking customers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.
Pancu pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to a term of incarceration of XX months to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution totaling $16,562.06.
The defendant faces deportation proceedings upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor Dean and Ly Chin.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Warwick, RI, Police Department, Cranston, RI, Police Department, East Greenwich, RI, Police Department, North Kingstown, RI, Police Department, East Providence, RI, Police Department, Boston, MA, Police Department, New York City Police Department, and the Stratford, CT, Police Department.
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