LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from Romania was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for skimming tens of thousands of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards in California and New York.
Catalin-Marius Graur, 43, whose last known residence was in Hollywood, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $165,697 in restitution.
Graur pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Graur is a Romanian citizen who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2020 but overstayed his visa. Graur travelled across Los Angeles and the Inland Empire installing sophisticated skimming devices in ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to record the account information of individuals who used those devices.
Graur was arrested in New York City in an Airbnb rental apartment in June 2024. In his possession, Graur had more than $37,000 in cash, and 1,488 stolen access device numbers.
Graur worked with multiple members of a transnational criminal organization from Romania to carry out this scheme. A search warrant for the residence of one of Graur’s accomplices revealed that Graur had sent him more than 36,000 stolen EBT card numbers over three years.
EBT card recipients, whom Graur specifically targeted, receive benefits designed specifically to help low-income households pay for housing, food, and other necessities.
The FBI, the United States Secret Service, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Social Services, and the Romanian National Police investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
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