Trio Sentenced

FORT WAYNE –Three individuals were sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to access device fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Giovanni Mazzone, 34, of Gilbert, AZ was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. 

Lucian Neagu, 32, of Fullerton, CA was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release.  

Julian Dumbrava, 36, of Baytown, TX was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. 

According to documents in the case, in October 2023, the above defendants possessed devices that were installed on ATMs for the purpose of stealing ATM card information.

In general, shimming devices and skimming devices are designed to obtain information from the magstripe on the back of, or the microchip implanted in, credit and debit cards. Both devices are most often accompanied by cameras that are installed on the ATM to capture a customer’s PIN number. These devices are usually placed onto or within the ATM for a limited period of time and then removed.  The fraudster then creates fraudulent credit and debit cards using the PIN number and captured data which are then used to illegally obtain goods, services, and currency.  TIP: When you use your card at an ATM, gas pump, or other payment keypad, it is a good practice to be mindful of anything unusual with the machine and to cover your hand as you input your PIN number. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Indiana State Police and the Huntington Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley Miller-Lowery.