Grand Jury Charges Bulgarian Men with Fraud

PEORIA, IL—A federal grand jury this afternoon returned an indictment that charges two Bulgarian men with fraud related to the alleged use of a scanning receiver at a Peoria Bank late last month. The indictment charges Svetoslav M. Nachev, 22, and Petar D. Petrovski, 20, both of Schiller Park, Ill. The two men were previously charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Aug. 2.

During a court appearance on Aug. 4, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John A. Gorman, Nachev and Petrovski each consented to detention and were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The indictment alleges that the men were involved in a scheme to use a scanning receiver to illegally intercept electronic communication at Commerce Bank in Peoria, on Jul. 31. According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Peoria police responded to a call regarding a card reading (skimming) device that was placed on an automated teller machine (ATM) at the bank at 2609 North Knoxville Avenue. When the officer arrived at the bank, according to the affidavit, he observed two men sitting in a car parked within sight of the bank ATM. As the officer was met by the complainant, the affidavit alleges the two men drove away at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued the car and conducted a traffic stop, and the two men were taken into custody.

The charges were investigated by the Peoria Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Keith.

If convicted, the offense of access device fraud (one count) and bank fraud (one count) each carry a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.