48 alleged members of a Romanian criminal network, which allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from social cards, were arrested in Orange County, California, the authorities announced in a press conference. Among those arrested is Florin Duduianu, one of the most wanted criminals in Romania, on the “Most Wanted” list of the Romanian Police.
According to a statement from Orange County investigators, in 2023 more than $108 million was stolen through skimming operations in California from social security cards, which the state allocated to low-income families. Several groups would be responsible, including the one coordinated by Florin Duduianu.
The suspects allegedly installed skimming devices in stores and used them to steal data from social cards used to buy food and children’s products.
With the cloned cards, the suspects bought various products – mainly baby formula and energy drinks – which they resold in Mexico, and the money was redirected to families in Romania. “Targeting vulnerable Californians trying to secure basic needs for themselves and their families is a heinous crime,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “I am grateful for the painstaking work done by the Orange County Prosecutor’s Office to bring to justice the perpetrators behind such crimes.”
According to prosecutors, several of the arrested suspects posted photos on social media of themselves driving luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or flaunting their Rolex watches, designer clothes and shoes.
Among the 48 people arrested are minors who are under 14 years old. Investigators also said that most of the Romanian suspects had entered the US illegally.
Florin Duduianu, in whose name an arrest warrant has been issued in Romania since 2020, is accused of blackmail, robbery and aggravated robbery, in a case in which the victims were manele singers. He was caught and arrested by US authorities a few months ago.
“During October 2017 – July 2020, the defendants, known in the social space having as their concern the commission of acts of violence, taking advantage of the reputation conferred by belonging to a certain family, through violence and threats of acts of violence, coerced the injured persons, who carry out their activity in the music field, to remit significant sums of money to them, immediately or in the future and to participate free of charge in certain future events”, announced in 2020, the prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Court of District 1 in a press release.