Couple arrested in Florida with credit card skimmers and bank numbers face jail and deportation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) – Two people are headed to federal prison after Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested them with thousands of credit card numbers and skimmers that would allow them to collect even more.

Their detour to a U.S. prison began on Interstate 10 in April 2023 when a police officer stopped Ian Halmac and Marian Vasilache for speeding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement announcing their convictions. The two men reportedly initially handed over fake IDs, but agents soon learned who they were – and that they had entered the country illegally from Romania.

Investigators searched their vehicle and discovered a laptop containing more than 3,000 credit card numbers as well as blank cards, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors also noted that beyond the skimming equipment found in the vehicle, Halmac and Vasilache also hid more in a warehouse in New Orleans.

“Protecting our citizens’ financial information is paramount, and with the help of our law enforcement partners, we will hold criminals accountable, regardless of their national origin,” said the U.S. District Attorney North Florida, Jason Coody, while praising the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement in cases like these.

Following their convictions, a federal judge sentenced Halmac, 35, and Vasilache, 45, to 18 months in prison each. The court granted an additional year of supervised release, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office doesn’t think that will matter.

None of them were legally in the United States, and prosecutors suspect the supervised release period will not matter since the government will immediately take steps to deport them.

“Crimes that threaten the identities, financial security and futures of American citizens will not be tolerated,” said Nicholas Ingegno of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tallahassee. Like Coody, Ingegno praised interagency work to prevent identity theft.

“Alongside our state and local partners, HSI will investigate criminals who steal the identities of American citizens and hide in the shadows of the Internet to search the digital pockets of unsuspecting victims,” he added. .