Illegal Alien Admits Nationwide Sleight-of-Hand Fraud

ST. LOUIS – An illegal immigrant pleaded guilty Thursday and admitted involvement in a conspiracy that stole or tried to steal $157,229 from a national retailer via sleight-of-hand fraud.

Bazili Anghel Anghel, 28, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of illegal reentry and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Anghel admitted that he and his co-conspirators committed fraud on at least 90 occasions in stores in Missouri and 19 other states. Anghel and the others would bring electronic items to cashiers and then count out the purchase price in cash into piles. They would then gather the cash into one pile and use that opportunity to slip some bills from the bottom of the stack into a pocket or purse before handing the pile of cash to the cashier. Anghel and the others would then go to a different store and return the electronic items for a full refund despite not paying the full purchase price.

Anghel is a citizen of Romania and national of Spain. He unlawfully entered the U.S. prior to Aug. 29, 2018. He was removed to Romania on Apr. 12, 2019, and illegally re-entered the country sometime prior to May 7, 2022, when the conspiracy began.

Anghel, who has also used the names Anghel Bazili, Edward Tansae and Bazili Angher, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2027. The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine. The illegal reentry charge is punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin Schute is prosecuting the case.