Jacksonville, Florida United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Adrian Kiraly, a/k/a Bighi,Andrei Andrei, a/k/a Tony, Bogdan Ardei, Nelu Onica, Vergiu Corneliu Galbenu, a/k/a Cornel, Ovidiu Meczak, a/k/a Ovi, Nedal Al-Khomos, Ovidiu Gabriel Musteata, and Doru Maris with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of seven years and six months. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $112,780, the proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, between March 2019 and June 2020, the defendants stole debit/credit card information and funds from victims by placing skimmers on ATMs. After they removed the skimmers, the defendants downloaded the stolen account numbers and PIN numbers and re-encoded that data onto blank cards, thereby creating counterfeit or unauthorized debit or credit cards. The conspirators installed skimming devices and/or conducted these cash out operations in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and New York.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
--DOJ Middle District of Florida
Source: U.S. Secret Service