Five Romanian nationals have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to steal nearly $1 million in food assistance benefits from low-income families and individuals in Ohio and California, according to an announcement on Apr. 20 by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Ionut Ilie, Constantin Eugen Ion, Valentin Velicu, Dragos Georghie Vasile, and Marian Alexandru Semplican carried out a complex fraud targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The accused are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, and sale or receipt of stolen government monies. Ilie faces an additional charge related to illegal reentry after being previously removed from the United States.
According to court documents cited in the release, the group used point-of-sale skimming devices at various retailers—including convenience stores and gas stations—to capture cardholder information from EBT users. These devices were sent from California to locations such as a UPS Store in Mentor, Lake County before being installed at stores throughout Toledo, Maple Heights, Cleveland, and other areas. The stolen data was then used to drain funds from victims’ accounts onto blank cards that were resold.
Law enforcement discovered a workshop dedicated to manufacturing these skimmers during a search at one defendant’s residence in North Hills, California. Items seized included faceplates for EBT machines, keypads, wiring components for overlay devices as well as fake identification documents.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio operates within federal law enforcement according to its official website. It is responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws related to national security and public corruption while defending civil suits against the United States according to its official website. The office covers 40 northern counties of Ohio according to its official website with offices located in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown according to its official website. It also collaborates with schools and law enforcement agencies on community safety initiatives according to its official website.
Assistant United States Attorney Duncan T. Brown is leading the prosecution of this case. An indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
