Romanian Trio Indicted in New Orleans for Alleged Walmart Fraud and Theft Scheme

A federal grand jury in New Orleans has indicted three Romanians: Rambo Harna, Sabina Munteanu, and Costel Aliman. They are accused with interstate transportation of stolen items and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the accusations are connected to a purported plot to steal merchandise and money from Walmart locations nationwide.

Aliman used a sleight-of-hand tactic to deceive a Walmart cashier by feigning to pay the right amount of money while surreptitiously removing a portion of it. Harna and Munteanu, his collaborators, assisted by causing distractions. The group would then redeem money orders and transfer requests for more money than they had spent, or they would exchange the merchandise for refunds at other Walmart locations. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, each group member faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison if found guilty of the wire fraud conspiracy or Count 1.

The charges against Aliman and Munteanu include wire fraud and unlawfully returning to the United States after being expelled. Additional jail time, fines, and fees may result from these charges. They are assumed innocent unless proven guilty, and the superseding indictment is merely an accusation. Walmart’s Organized Retail Crime Division and Homeland Security Investigations were commended by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for their contributions to the investigation. A theft scheme that targeted Walmart locations across several states was discovered during the inquiry. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Hubbell.

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