FBI hunts for suspects in credit card scam

Jace Radke

Thursday, May 27, 2004 | 9:26 a.m.

The FBI continues to search for more than a dozen suspects named in two federal racketeering indictments alleging two Romanian crime rings are using stolen credit cards and false identification to bilk hundreds of thousands of dollars from Las Vegas casinos and ATM machines.

The two indictments were unsealed by U.S. Magistrate Lawrence Leavitt Tuesday after FBI agents arrested six suspects in the case, leaving 15 who have not yet been located by authorities.

The indictments, returned by a federal grand jury on May 11, allege racketeering, fraudulent use and trafficking in unauthorized and counterfeit credit cards, conspiracy, and possession of document-making equipment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Vasquez estimated that the losses caused by the alleged illegal activity could total more than $1 million.

Vasquez said the indictments are the result of an 18-month to two-year FBI investigation. FBI spokesman Special Agent Todd Palmer said the investigation is ongoing.

According to the indictments, the credit card rings allegedly sent out runners across the country to steal credit cards that were then transported to Las Vegas where they were used in concert with fake driver's licenses to obtain cash advances at casinos and from ATM machines.

The fake licenses would have the picture of the person using the card, and the name of the victim from whom the credit card was taken, according to the indictments.

The groups liked to prey on people at fitness centers, where credit cards were easily taken from lockers while people work out, or from cars parked at trail heads at recreation areas, Vasquez said.

"They stole these cards from all over the country and then transported them to Las Vegas where they would try to get cash advances," Vasquez said. "They went to where the money is."

On Tuesday the FBI seized computers, printers, digital cameras, lock-picking tools, laminators, credit cards, ATM components and an ATM machine from the Las Vegas homes of the six people arrested.

"We believe they used the ATM machine to practice one of their newer techniques, which was using skimming devices to skim PIN numbers out of ATM machines," Vasquez said.

On Tuesday the FBI arrested Eduard Andronescu, 28; Georgiana Viorica Muresan, 23; Nana Ochershvili, 23; and Mariana Iancu, 34. All are named in a seven-count indictment that names nine other defendants who have not yet been located by the FBI.

According to the indictment, Iancu's husband, Florin Iancu, who is also named as a defendant in the document, led the ring.

The indictment goes on to allege that the ring was in competition with another criminal group in Los Angeles and that a member of Iancu's group shot and killed a member of the rival organization on Jan. 25, 2002, in Las Vegas. Iancu's group has been operating in Las Vegas since at least January of 2000, the indictment states.

Also on Tuesday Moise Olariu, 29, and Nicolae Dragoi, 36, were arrested on charges stemming from a three count indictment that names six other outstanding defendants allegedly involved in a second Las Vegas credit card ring.

This second ring has been operating in Las Vegas since at least November 2001, the indictment states.

Muresan, Ochershvili, Iancu, Olariu and Dragoi were all arraigned on Wednesday by Leavitt, and all five pleaded not guilty. Andronescu is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Muresan, Dragoi and Olariu remain in custody because Immigration and Customs Enforcement had placed holds on them as they are believed to be illegally in the country from Romania. Dragoi will have a detention hearing today, because his attorney said that there is paperwork to show that his client is in the country legally despite there also being an Immigration and Customs hold on him. Muresan and Olariu will be held pending trial.

Leavitt released Ochershvili and Iancu, both naturalized American citizens from Romania, on personal recognizance bonds, but both must remain in Clark County and turn over their passports. In addition, Ochershvili was ordered to secure a $30,000 bond on her home in Las Vegas.

Ochershvili, Mariana Iancu and Muresan are scheduled for trial on August 3, while Olariu and Dragoi are scheduled for trial on July 26. Andronescu's trial date will be determined at today's hearing.