| Seven Romanian nationals pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with an ATM skimming scheme operating throughout Massachusetts and other states including Connecticut, New York and South Carolina.
Constantin Denis Hornea, 23; Maria Lazar, 19; Ludemis Hornea, 20; Claudiu Florea, 25; Denisa Bonculescu, 27; and Anamaria Margel, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly known as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices. Constantin Hornea, Lazar and Ludemis Hornea also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy; Constantin and Ludemis Hornea also pleaded guilty to possession of device making equipment; and Florea also pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. Ion Trifu, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use counterfeit access devices and money laundering conspiracy. Scheduling is sentenced for March 15, 2018.
In May 2017, the defendants were indicted along with five others whose whereabouts remain unknown.
The defendants, except for Trifu, were members of the Hornea Crew, led by Constantin Denis Hornea and Ludemis Hornea, and engaged in ATM skimming – obtaining debit card numbers and PINs from unsuspecting bank customers, creating counterfeit cards and making unauthorized withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts. Over a period of 18 months, the crew installed skimming devices and made unauthorized withdrawals in seven states, including Massachusetts. In particular, members of the crew installed skimming devices in the following locations: Amherst, Bellingham, Billerica, Braintree, Chicopee, Quincy, Southwick, Waltham, Weymouth and Whately; Enfield, Connecticut; Columbia, Greenville, Greenwood, Mauldin and Saluda, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Yadkinville, North Carolina. The crew made unauthorized withdrawals at ATMs in approximately 29 Massachusetts towns; seven Connecticut towns; six New York towns; Salem, New Hampshire; and Sumter, South Carolina.
Members of the Hornea crew and Trifu transferred money throughout the United States and to Romania and the People’s Republic of China. Some of those transfers were for the purchase of skimming devices and related components from abroad.
