Four Foreign Nationals Sentenced in Multi-State ATM and Retail Skimming Conspiracy

PROVIDENCE – Four foreign nationals, illegally present in the United States, who admitted to participating in a multi-state scheme that compromised more than 15,000 credit, debit, and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards were sentenced in federal court for their roles in the conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

An investigation revealed that from May 2023 through February 2024, the co-conspirators placed card skimming devices on point-of-sale terminals at various locations of major retailers and on ATMs of various financial institutions in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. The devices captured customers’ personal financial account information, which the defendants then used to create counterfeit cards and withdraw cash.

In Rhode Island, more than 200 debit cards were compromised at two Rhode Island financial institutions, resulting in over $300,000 of unauthorized ATM withdrawals from 67 customer accounts.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. sentenced the defendants as follows:

• Nicolas Longin Codreanu, 23, a citizen of Ireland and Romania, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and ordered to pay approximately $306,000 in restitution.
• Armando Ion Codreanu, 24, a citizen of Romania, was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment and ordered to pay approximately $306,000 in restitution.
• Isabella Ignat Codreanu, 24, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and ordered to pay approximately $306,000 in restitution.
• Robby Vicson Codreanu, 21, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment and ordered to pay approximately $306,000 in restitution.

Each defendant previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud; producing and using counterfeit access devices; possession of fifteen or more counterfeit access devices; possession of device making equipment; and use of fraudulent access device to receive payment.

Two additional defendants, Codreanu’s wife, Mila Ciuciu, 21, and Ionut Zamfir, 38, both citizens of Romania, are awaiting trial.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron

The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bristol Police Department, with the assistance of the Warwick Police Department, Coventry Police Department, Westerly Police Department, Johnston Police Department, Seekonk Police Department, United States Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations agents in Lafayette, LA, New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA.