The U.S. Attorney's Office is continuing its crackdown on fraud targeting benefits for California's low-income families with the arrest and charging of seven people last week in connection with the theft of hundreds of thousands in Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits (EBT).
Marian Dogaru, Catalan Craciun, Vasile Ionita, Andrei Cristian Geangasau, Domitru Ducila Unguru, Roberto Calin and Razvan Iulian Gaspar have been charged with stealing EBT account information and using that stolen information to make fraudulent cash withdrawals at ATMs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A U.S. Secret Service-led task force took the defendants into custody in a three-day effort to crack down on growing fraud targeting California's benefits for low-income families.
The benefits would have otherwise gone to low-income families that need the money for food, housing and other necessities. The funds are almost immediately drained from recipients' accounts after the funds are given to them.
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The funds were mostly stolen using unauthorized ATM withdrawals, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Complaints state that between June 2022 and February 2024, more than $181 million has been stolen from people in California who receive EBT benefits.
“EBT fraud literally takes food out of the mouths of children,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Parents who don’t know they’ve been targeted get to the grocery checkout and discover their EBT cards have been wiped clean. We are taking proactive steps to prevent this appalling crime and punish those who take advantage of vulnerable people."
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“EBT fraud continues to be an issue in California and throughout the nation,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Peck, U.S. Secret Service Office of Investigations. “The U.S. Secret Service will continue to investigate and arrest those responsible for EBT fraud as we seek to disrupt their networks and protect our most vulnerable communities."
