Four Romanian Men Sentenced for Odometer Fraud

Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that four co-defendants convicted of odometer fraud and related charges were sentenced on April 30 and May 1, 2025 by United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher. 

Razan Trasca, age 35, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to four counts of Odometer Fraud and three counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles).  He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $53,260 in restitution. 

Daniel Andronache, age 28, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title).  He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 38 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $26,690 in restitution.

Ionut Madalin Zamfir, age 25, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to two counts of Odometer Fraud and two counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles).  He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $38,500 in restitution. 

Dudu Musi, age 37, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title).  He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $17,150 in restitution.

Each of the defendants had entered the United States sometime between approximately 2020 to 2022 and had been allowed to remain in the country. 

During approximately January 2022 to July 2024, in Nebraska and adjoining states, the defendants acquired high mileage vehicles, rolled back the odometers, re-sold the same vehicles at inflated prices, and provided vehicle titles that falsely stated low mileages consistent with the altered odometer readings.  Sometimes a defendant acquired and sold the same vehicle himself, but each of the four defendants conducted overlapping transactions concerning certain vehicles, for example acquiring a vehicle that a co-defendant sold or accompanying a co-defendant during an acquisition or sale. 

Collectively, the defendants acquired and sold at least 23 vehicles in this same way.  The Court determined that the cumulative loss was $104,400, based on the difference between the price for which each vehicle was acquired and the inflated price for which it was sold after its odometer was rolled back. 

Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen stated, “These defendants defrauded ordinary citizens who were simply trying to stay within their budgets by buying used cars.  What makes it even more egregious is that they victimized American citizens after having been allowed to remain in the United States.” 

“HSI works closely with our partners to identify and investigate anyone who comes to the U.S. to commit fraud,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “In this case, the convictions and restitution ordered will support the victims who were defrauded through the defendants’ scheme."

In a separate case, Andronache and Zamfir had been stopped in November 2023 in Blaine, Washington, near the Canadian border.  They were transporting twelve aliens, all of whom were Romanian citizens who had entered the United States illegally.  In 2024, Andronache and Zamfir were convicted and sentenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington of Conspiracy to Illegally Transport Certain Aliens.  At the conclusion of that case, Andronache and Zamfir were transported to Nebraska to face the Odometer Fraud and related charges. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit.