Man Sentenced in ATM Skimming Scheme That Stole More Than $177,000 (Chicago, IL) – A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for his role in a card-skimming scheme that targeted Bank of America ATMs in Chicago and New Jersey.
Florin Nicolae Tarta, 40, of Satu Mare, Romania, was convicted earlier this year in federal court in Chicago on charges of bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. On Sept. 10, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced him to six years and nine months in prison.
Prosecutors said Tarta and two accomplices installed sophisticated skimming devices on multiple ATMs. The devices, which included hidden card readers and pinhole cameras, were designed to capture customers’ debit card information and record their PINs.
The stolen data was later transferred onto the magnetic strips of gift cards, which the men used to withdraw cash. Authorities said the scheme netted $177,280 in fraudulent transactions before it was discovered in March 2024, when police in Westfield, N.J., found a hidden camera attached to an ATM. Tarta was arrested when he returned to retrieve the equipment.
Two co-defendants also received prison terms. Leonid Grigore Smetanca, 45, of Romania, was sentenced to three and a half years, and Radu Farcas, 42, of London, England, received two and a half years.
Federal officials said the case highlights the growing threat of ATM skimming.
“Card skimming is a widespread problem plaguing financial institutions and consumers,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes wrote in the government’s sentencing memorandum, adding that Tarta’s repeated conduct “imposes an enormous toll on the U.S. economy.”
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and FBI Chicago Field Office Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta, with assistance from the Westfield, N.J., Police Department.
Man Sentenced in ATM Skimming Scheme That Stole More Than $177,000
