Home Economy Government Romanian national pleads guilty in multistate ATM skimming conspiracy

Romanian national pleads guilty in multistate ATM skimming conspiracy

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01/29/2025

iJnzi341-BghEBGn9-6VJFxraZ-lTMEr3yY-qIcqSA6y-6v7fYdjo-LlLmdU6w-p2eAEw4o-9EcP8RiM-PVMYynWF-gceDU78f-svXubYP8-courthouse-1-1-1 — A SECOND Romanian national has pleaded guilty in federal court for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs across six states including Rhode Island, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha announced Wednesday. / COURTESY U.S. DISTRICT COURT

PROVIDENCE – A second Romanian national has pleaded guilty in federal court for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs which spanned across six states including Rhode Island, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha announced Wednesday. Mario Demarco, also known as both Marius Lupu and David Ademec, formerly of Queens, N.Y., pleaded

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PROVIDENCE – A second Romanian national has pleaded guilty in federal court for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs which spanned across six states including Rhode Island, U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary A. Cunha announced Wednesday. Mario Demarco, also known as both Marius Lupu and David Ademec, formerly of Queens, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy and to commit bank fraud in U.S. District Court. The other co-defendant, Stefano Garioli, also known as Dumitru Bogdan Pancu and Leon Vutkus, also formerly of Queens, N.Y., pleaded guilty on Dec. 11 to the same charge. According to court documents, Demarco and Garioli conspired together and with others for two years beginning in May 2022 to commit bank fraud by placing skimming devices on ATM machines to steal customer bank account information and personal identification numbers. The stolen information was used to clone counterfeit bank cards that were then used to fraudulently withdraw money from the bank accounts of unsuspecting customers, Cunha says. The conspiracy got law enforcement’s attention on July 5, 2024, when a bank branch manager notified the Warwick Police Department that surveillance video had captured two men, Cunha says, later identified as Demarco and Garioli, placing a skimming device inside a drive-up ATM. Cunha says nearby security video also captured images of the two men’s vehicle. The same vehicle, the U.S. attorney says, was also identified as having been present two days earlier when a skimming device was placed inside an ATM at a bank branch in North Kingstown. A day later, Cranston police reported that a vehicle matching the one recorded by bank security cameras had been captured on a city Flock camera, Cunha says. Warwick police responded to the area of the camera and located the vehicle. Demarco was detained as he walked away from a nearby ATM and Garioli was located sitting in the vehicle. Further investigation determined that the two men had worked together and with others for more than two years placing skimmer devices on ATMs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Cunha says. DeMarco and Garioli are scheduled to be sentenced on May 6. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.