Crime

6 charged with stealing $300,000 using card skimmers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts

The members of the theft ring allegedly live illegally in California and are citizens of Ireland, Romania, and Great Britain.

By Molly Farrar

July 10, 2024

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Six Europeans illegally living in the United States are facing charges relating to the placement of card skimmers at dozens of retail locations and ATMs in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and four other states, officials said. The group allegedly withdrew more than $300,000 from compromised bank accounts.

Four of the people charged, who live in California, appeared in federal court in Rhode Island Tuesday. A fifth person is being transported to Rhode Island, and there is an outstanding arrest warrant for the sixth person involved, the state’s U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. The members of the alleged theft ring hail from Ireland, Romania, and Great Britain.

Where were the skimmers placed?

Federal prosecutors said the investigation into the skimmers began last fall when Bristol, Rhode Island police were alerted about a skimmer placed at a bank’s drive-through ATM. 

From there, Homeland Security Investigations found that at least one member of the theft ring allegedly put skimming devices at BJ’s Wholesale Clubs and Walmarts in Warwick, Johnston, and Coventry, Rhode Island and in Avon, Raynham, Seekonk, and Walpole, Massachusetts. All told, 22 skimmers have been found at BJ’s locations in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Skimmers were also found at two banks in Westerly, Rhode Island. In December, an elderly couple found that $25,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from both of their accounts, according to the HSI investigation report. A total of $279,250 was withdrawn from various Westerly Community Credit Union ATMs, affecting 44 accounts, officials said.

Allegedly, one or more of the six individuals charged were caught on security camera tampering with the check-out devices from September to December of last year.

“The scale, scope, and brazen nature of these defendants’ scheme to steal the financial account information of unsuspecting consumers and use it to help themselves to funds and property, as we have alleged in federal court, is staggering,” U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said in a statement.

Four face judge in Rhode Island

23-year-old Armando Ion Condreanu of Ireland is charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. 23-year-old Isabela Ignat Codreanu of Romania, 20-year-old Robby Viscon Codreanu of Great Britain, and 20-year-old Mila Ciuciu of Romania are each facing one charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. 

21-year-old Nicolas Longin Codreanu, of Romania and Ireland, is in the custody of U.S. Marshals and will face charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft in Rhode Island. 37-year-old Romanian Ionut Zamfir faces the same charges but hasn’t been apprehended.