Two Romanian brothers living in the United States illegally have pleaded guilty to a fraud scheme that stole food benefits meant for vulnerable Americans, according to federal authorities. The Justice Department announced the guilty pleas on July 2, 2026.
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Both men are Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in the country.
Prosecutors state that between July 2024 and August 2025, the brothers were part of an identity theft ring that defrauded SNAP programs across New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The scheme involved using skimming devices at ATMs and fuel pumps to steal EBT card data, which was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and unauthorized access devices.
Court records indicate the stolen benefits were cashed out through large membership warehouse clubs, where the brothers purchased bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, baby formula, and other goods. Specific transactions include over $15,600 in purchases at a Gastonia, North Carolina club and more than $19,000 at another club in Pineville. The case documents tie the brothers to 15 or more counterfeit cards cloned with stolen SNAP EBT data, plus blank magnetic-strip cards, and victimize more than 10 individuals while causing substantial hardship.
Each brother faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been set. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina described the case as part of efforts by the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division to combat fraud in federal benefit programs.
