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Four ATM Skimmer Thieves Plead Guilty To Bank Fraud

NEWARK, NJ -- Four members of a gang that used secret card-reading devices and pinhole cameras on PNC and Bank of America ATMs to steal at least $428,581 pleaded guilty on July 11 in Newark federal court. Pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud were Marcel Peckham, 43, of Little Neck, NY; Catalin Mihai Dragomir, 33, of Glendale, NY; Eduard Vasilica Ticu, 32, also of Glendale; and Silvester Florentin Papp, 25, of Ridgewood, NY. Bank fraud con...

July 31, 2017

NEWARK, NJ -- Four members of a gang that used secret card-reading devices and pinhole cameras on PNC and Bank of America ATMs to steal at least $428,581 pleaded guilty on July 11 in Newark federal court.

Pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud were Marcel Peckham, 43, of Little Neck, NY; Catalin Mihai Dragomir, 33, of Glendale, NY; Eduard Vasilica Ticu, 32, also of Glendale; and Silvester Florentin Papp, 25, of Ridgewood, NY. Bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and $1 million fine. Sentencing for all four defendants is set for Oct. 23.

According to prosecutors, Peckham, Dragomir, Ticu, Papp and others sought to defraud financial institutions and their customers by illegally obtaining customer information, including account numbers and personal identification numbers. Peckham admitted to providing counterfeit ATM cards to other conspirators, knowing that they were going to use them to withdraw cash from compromised bank accounts at ATMs in New Jersey. Dragomir, Ticu and Papp each admitted to making unauthorized cash withdrawals using the counterfeit ATM cards between March 2015 and July 2016.

Additionally, Joel Abel Garcia, Victor A. Hanganu and Radu Bogdan Marin pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. To date, seven of the 13 defendants charged in the scheme have been convicted.