Home Economy Economic Activity Romanian national sentenced in multistate ATM skimming conspiracy

Romanian national sentenced in multistate ATM skimming conspiracy

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06/05/2025

4cTk5vLT-co4oOI0M-dKKfjIni-9zuRNzNb-DistrictCourt — A ROMANIAN national has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs in six states, including Rhode Island, acting U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Sara M. Bloom announced Wednesday. / COURTESY U.S. DISTRICT COURT

PROVIDENCE – A Romanian national has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs in six states, including Rhode Island, acting U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Sara M. Bloom announced Wednesday. U.S. District Court Judge Mary. S. McElroy sentenced Mario Demarco, also known as both

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PROVIDENCE – A Romanian national has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for participating in a card-skimming conspiracy on ATMs in six states, including Rhode Island, acting U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Sara M. Bloom announced Wednesday. U.S. District Court Judge Mary. S. McElroy sentenced Mario Demarco, also known as both Marius Lupu and David Ademec, formerly of Queens, N.Y., to 33 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $16,567 in restitution. On Jan 29, Demarco 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. Garioli is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12. According to court documents, Demarco and Garioli conspired 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. 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 later identified as Demarco and Garioli, placing a skimming device inside a drive-up ATM. A nearby security video also captured images of their vehicle. The same vehicle, according to court documents, 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. 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. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Demarco installed skimming devices on at least 10 ATMs and compromised at least 952 cards. He owes restitution to 15 different banks.