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Romanian man pleads guilty to access device fraud conspiracy

LEGAL NEWSLINE

Monday, February 24, 2025

Romanian man pleads guilty to access device fraud conspiracy

Attorneys & Judges
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Duane A. Evans, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana

A Romanian national, Doru Adamesc, also known as "Petru Golban," has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. The plea was entered on February 13, 2025, before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. The charges fall under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b)(2).

Court documents reveal that Adamesc and a co-conspirator were involved in fraudulent activities on May 19 and May 20 of the previous year. They purchased items at retail establishments to gain access to credit card reading machines. While the co-conspirator distracted cashiers, Adamesc installed card skimmers covertly. His arrest took place on June 5, 2024, when he attempted to retrieve one of these devices from a store.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized two large magnets from Adamesc's vehicle—tools commonly used for activating Bluetooth capabilities on skimming devices. A search of his cellular phones uncovered a photo showing about 60 gift cards spread out on a counter. These cards are often re-encoded with stolen numbers for fraudulent transactions.

Authorities confiscated six credit card skimmers linked to Adamesc before he could retrieve them. These devices had captured data from approximately 421 credit, debit, and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.

Adamesc faces potential penalties including up to seven and a half years in prison, three years of supervised release, fines reaching $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson commended several agencies for their roles in the investigation: Special Agents from the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; Special Agents with the United States Secret Service; Deputies from various Parish Sheriff's Offices; and Officers from the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni leads the prosecution effort.

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