Credit card scammers believed to be linked to Romani crime group: Police

Police SWAT descended upon a rental home in Florissant on Monday, arresting criminal suspects with reported ties to Romanian organized crime. Police have arrested two Romanian nationals, Ivan Laurentiu-Miguel and Isabelle Dumitru, suspected of having ties to Romanian organized crime. The suspects were arrested after a raid on a rental home in Florissant, Missouri, where they were found with over $5,800 in $20 bills, one credit card skimmer device, and one skimmer camera. The police claim these suspects placed the scanners and skimmers on ATMs across the city between April 1 and June 3. The Department of Homeland Security has begun deportation proceedings on both Laurentiu/Daughter, claiming both are extreme flight risks. They remain in custody without bond. Police believe this is the third targeted location in the St. Louis metro area by Romanian organized Crime.

प्रकाशित : 11 माह पहले द्वारा Chris Hayes में Finance

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Police SWAT descended upon a rental home in Florissant on Monday, arresting criminal suspects with reported ties to Romanian organized crime.

You can still see damage from the kicked-in door and splintered wood on the stoop. Neighbors said the family had recently moved in. The two suspects, Romanian nationals living in the St. Louis region, reportedly told police they didn’t have a home address. Court records show their address as 200 South Tuck Boulevard, which is the St. Louis City Justice Center, where they’re now in custody.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, the crimes occurred between April 1 and June 3.

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Police claim Ivan Laurentiu-Miguel and Isabelle Dumitru placed the scanners and skimmers on ATMs across the city.

City police obtained a search warrant for a home on La Havre Circle and discovered both Laurentiu-Miguel and Dumitru in possession of over $5,800 in $20 bills, one credit card skimmer device, and one skimmer device camera. Police also found a hardware extractor device as well as several pre-paid Visa cards, which are commonly used to store data stolen via skimmers.

In 2023, the Department of Homeland Security began deportation proceedings on both Laurentiu-Miguel and Dumitru, claiming both were extreme flight risks. Authorities believe they’re part of a Romani crime group tied to financial scams across the United States.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged both Laurentiu-Miguel and Dumitru with one count of illegal use of a card scanner. The charges were filed in St. Louis County because the search warrant was for a home in Florissant. Laurentiu-Miguel and Dumitru remain in custody without bond.

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According to authorities, St. Louis is the third location in the metro area that Romanian organized crime has targeted.

Arnold police busted a Romanian crime ring in 2022, tracking three different suspects who are now convicted in a gift card sleight of hand scheme that netted more than $224,000.

Then in 2023, St. Charles police busted an alleged jewel theft ring that was operating out of a short-term rental property. Court records indicated seven suspects—identified as Romanians—were reported members of the Balkan network.

Meanwhile, a police source tells FOX 2 that the skimmers in this case could not be seen from the outside. However, the source said you would feel some type of resistance when inserting your card. So, if you ever feel it’s harder than usual to insert your card, use another ATM.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.

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