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Press Release

Romanian National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Installing Identity Theft Devices on ATMS

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. – A Romanian national was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal bank account information from thousands of customers by installing secret card-reading devices and pinhole cameras on ATMs throughout New Jersey and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Ionut Paraschiv, 35, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan imposed the sentence by videoconference this afternoon.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Paraschiv admitted he was part of an ATM skimming scheme that stole bank account information by installing hidden card-reading devices on ATMs throughout northern and central New Jersey. Paraschiv previously acknowledged that he and his conspirators created bank cards using the fraudulently obtained account information, which they used to unlawfully withdraw large amounts of cash from various ATMs. The scheme, which involved actual and attempted losses exceeding $1.5 million, impacted over 1,000 bank customers.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Paraschiv to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $443,277 in restitution.  

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski, detectives with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Christopher Kubriet, and detectives with the Woodbridge Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Robert Hubner, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked detectives with the New York Police Department Financial Crimes Task Force in Brooklyn, New York, for their assistance with the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force/Narcotics Unit in Newark.

Updated June 23, 2020

Topic
Financial Fraud
Press Release Number: 20-193