One of Romania’s most dangerous gangsters sentenced to prison in US
Florin Duduianu, one of Romania's most dangerous gangsters, was recently sentenced to five years in prison for bank fraud and identity theft, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Duduianu, 39, pleaded guilty to three charges of bank fraud and illegal use of credit cards. He was then found guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft.
He was sentenced by the US District Judge John W. Holcomb to 5 years in prison.
"This defendant came to our country to exploit the most vulnerable members of our society. Our nation is not a piggy bank for foreign criminals, and those who think they can take advantage of our freedoms to harm our people are gravely mistaken," said US Attorney Martin Estrada.
In August 2023, law enforcement was conducting an operation to combat electronic benefits transfer (or EBT) fraud at various banks and ATMs. Police observed Duduianu, accompanied by a friend, at a Wells Fargo ATM, where he made several withdrawals using different cards. The gangster was questioned and lied to the officers, claiming he was depositing, not withdrawing money.
Both Duduianu and his companion were searched. Officers found four Visa gift cards, three Wells Fargo ATM receipts, and USD 1,850 in cash. The Visa gift cards were encoded with EBT card numbers. These numbers were run through an EBT database, which revealed they belonged to four different people, the US Department of Justice said in a press release.
"Duduianu stole money that was intended to serve as a lifeline for the neediest. It was a serious crime, and the FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners worldwide to identify criminals like this defendant and hold them fully accountable for their actions," said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.
The FBI contacted the account holders for the two EBT accounts from which Duduianu made withdrawals. They confirmed they did not know Duduianu or his companion and had not authorized anyone to withdraw money from their accounts.
Duduianu's mobile phone was also checked, and police found dozens of photos and videos related to ATM skimming, as well as tools and techniques used to bypass EBT information. Authorities also found images of large amounts of cash and hundreds of EBT numbers from various states, along with an article about EBT fraud. On another smartphone, police discovered additional videos related to ATM skimming.
“Until his arrest in this case…Duduianu was one of Romania’s ‘Most Wanted’ criminals and an INTERPOL fugitive,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
“He leads the ‘Duduianu Clan,’ an exceptionally violent and influential organized crime group and was previously convicted of attempted murder. In 2020, [Duduianu] fled Romanian prosecution following charges of robbery and blackmail,” prosecutors said.
(Photo source: Paul Brady | Dreamstime.com)
