Source: Office of United States Attorneys
PROVIDENCE – A second Romanian national has admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island that he participated in a conspiracy that installed card skimming devices on bank ATMs in at least six states, including Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Mario Demarco, a/k/a Marius Lupu a/k/a David Ademec, until recently residing in Queens, New York, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. A co-defendant, Stefano Garioli, a/k/a Dumitru Bogdan Pancu a/k/a Leon Vutkus, also of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024, to the same charge.
According to information presented to the court, for more than two years, beginning in May 2022, the two men conspired together and with others to commit bank fraud by placing skimming devices on ATM machines in order to steal customer bank account information and PINs. 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 ATM skimmer conspiracy first came to the attention law enforcement on July 5, 2024, when a bank branch manager notified the Warwick Police Department that bank surveillance video had captured two men, later identified as the defendants, placing a skimming device inside a drive-up ATM. Nearby security video also captured images of the two men’s vehicle. The same vehicle was also identified as having been present two days earlier when a skimming device was placed inside an ATM at a North Kingstown bank branch.
On July 6, 2024, Cranston Police reported that a vehicle matching the one recorded by bank security cameras had been captured on a Flock camera in their city. Warwick Police responded to the area of the camera and located the vehicle. Demarco was detained as he walked away from a nearby ATM; 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.
DeMarco and Garioli are scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2025. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Warwick, RI Police Department, Cranston, RI Police Department, East Greenwich, RI Police Department, North Kingstown, RI Police Department, East Providence, RI Police Department, Boston, MA Police Department, New York City Police Department, and the Stratford, CT Police Department.
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