FBI and FGR Arrests 7 Romanians in Los Cabos, Part of Int'l Organized Crime Fraud and Money Laundering

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A total of 7 Romanians, who are allegedly part of a criminal organization dedicated to cybercrime, human trafficking and extortion were arrested in Cabo San Lucas in the municipality of Los Cabos ; this, in an operation in coordination between the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The capture was made after an investigation initiated by FBI and the FGR’s Cyber ​​Research and Technology Operations Unit in Mexico. See the US DOJ Press Release below.

The detainees were identified as Florian Claudio Martín identified as the alleged leader of the organization; Marusca “N” or Hosingr “N”, against whom there is a file issued by Interpol from Brussels, Belgium.

Like Constantinescu “N”; Nicola Laurente “N”; Pencu “N”; Stoica “N” and Leontinescu “N”, which were located and arrested “without the use of force or affectation to third parties”.   

The Romanians have an arrest warrant in the United States and irregular immigration status in Mexico , so the corresponding procedure will be carried out with a view to their deportation from the country. 

Finally, according to research, it is known that they used high-tech computers and equipment for the cloning of bank cards, theft of ATMs and cyber scams. The 7 Romanians arrested in Cabo San Lucas 

were part of a larger case involving 18 Members of the International Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy; See BELOW. For the entire Press Release use the USDOJ link.

                                                                                

Press Release from the US Dept of Justice:

18 Members Of International Fraud And Money Laundering Conspiracy Charged In Manhattan Federal Court:

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Troy Miller, Director, Field Operations, New York, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), and James P. O’Neill, the Police Commissioner for the City of New York (“NYPD”), today announced the unsealing of an indictment and two superseding indictments charging 18 defendants with participating in an international conspiracy to commit a variety of offenses, including access device fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Defendants NIKOLAOS LIMBERATOS, a/k/a “Nicu Limberto,” CRISTIAN COSTEA, a/k/a “Momo,” THEOFRASTOS LYMBERATOS, ANDREW ELIOPOULOS, PETER SAMOLIS, KELLY KARKI LAM, and IULIANA MIHAILESCU were arrested this morning and will be presented in federal court in Manhattan before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang later today.  Defendants MIRCEA CONSTANTINESCU, a/k/a “Sobo,”ALIN HANES CALUGARU, IONELA CONSTANTINESCU, a/k/a “Pitica,” and GEORGE SERBAN were also arrested this morning and will be presented in federal court in Miami before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis later today.  Defendant FLORIAN CLAUDIU MARTIN, a/k/a “Florin Claudiu,” a/k/a “Johnny Ion,” a/k/a “Jane Hotul,” a/k/a “Petru Andrioaie,” a/k/a “Petru Andrioane,” was arrested this morning in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and defendant RAUL IONUT VIDRASAN, a/k/a “Michu,” a/k/a “The Boy,” was arrested this morning in Perugia, Italy.  Defendants VALENTIN PETRESCU, a/k/a “Gico Cosmin Giscan,” a/k/a “Zoltan Pruma,” DRAGOS DIACONU, MADLIN ALEXANDRU ANCA, a/k/a “Mateo Fernandez Alejandro,” and CRISTIAN ULMANU, a/k/a “Boris Moravec,” are currently in custody on other charges and will be transferred to federal custody in New York and presented at a later date.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, the defendants participated in a wide-ranging international ATM skimming and money laundering operation, using their technological know-how to steal tens of millions of dollars from financial institutions and individual victims.  Thanks to the FBI, CBP, and the NYPD, the defendants are in custody and facing felony charges for their alleged offenses.”