Prairie State Wire

A man has been sentenced to six years and nine months in federal prison for his role in an ATM card-skimming scheme that targeted machines in Chicago and New Jersey. Florin Nicolae Tarta, 40, of Satu Mare, Romania, was convicted earlier this year by a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on charges of bank fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

According to authorities, Tarta and two accomplices installed skimming devices on several Bank of America ATMs. The devices included a metallic plate with an attached card reader, memory chip, and battery designed to capture account information from users’ cards. A pinhole camera was also placed near the ATM keypad to record customers entering their PINs.

After several days, the group removed the devices and used computers to transfer the stolen data onto magnetic strips on gift cards. These counterfeit cards were then used to withdraw cash at various banks. Losses from these unauthorized transactions totaled $177,280.

The operation ended in March 2024 when law enforcement discovered a hidden camera on an ATM in Westfield, New Jersey. Tarta was arrested upon returning to retrieve the device.

Two co-defendants pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced: Leonid Grigore Smetanca received three and a half years in prison; Radu Farcas received two and a half years.

The sentences were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Westfield Police Department also assisted with the investigation.

“Defendant repeatedly engaged in criminal conduct that imposes an enormous toll on the U.S. economy,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Tarta’s case. “Card skimming is a widespread problem plaguing financial institutions and consumers.”