Alexandru Habasecu        

            Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg along with Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge David Walker, FBI-Tampa Division, announces the arrest and successful extradition from Spain of Alexandru Habasescu (30, Moldova). Habasescu is charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and substantive counts of access device fraud, for his role as an administrator of the xDedic Marketplace. If convicted on all counts, Habasescu faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The Indictment also notifies the defendant that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture of the proceeds and facilitating property of the fraud.

            According to public documents, the xDedic Marketplace, established around October 2014, illegally sold login credentials (usernames and passwords) to compromised servers and social security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens. Habasescu, who resided in Chisnau, Moldova, acted as the lead developer and technical mastermind for the Marketplace.

           Victims of the charges filed are entitled to the following rights, according to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771: (1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused; (2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused; (3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding; (4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding; (5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case; (6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law; (7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy; (9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement; and (10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (34 U.S.C. § 20141(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims’ Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice.

Please visit https://www.ic3.gov/, https://www.identitytheft.gov or https://www.fbi.gov/resources/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victims-in-the-xdedic-investigation if you believe you are a victim of identity theft.

Please periodically visit this website for updates regarding this case and others related to xDedic Marketplace. If you have questions, please e-mail usaflm.victimwitness@usdoj.gov and include the subject line "Alexandru Habasescu, 8:18-CR-00545.

Court Documents:

• Indictment
• Motion for Alternative Victim Notification
• Order for Alternative Victim Notification
• Plea Agreement
• Acceptance of Plea Agreement

Defendant:  Alexandru Habasescu

Pleaded guilty on April 25, 2023.

Sentencing Scheduled for December 6, 2023.

Resources:

• VW Brochure General
• Right to be Heard Brochure