On Wednesday, April 23rd, the Medford Police Department released information regarding the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon’s sentencing of California resident, 45 year old Florin George Ionita, to 54 months in federal prison for his involvement in a bank fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme spanning from Medford, Oregon to Maine.
The charges were the result of a joint investigation involving the Medford Police Department and multiple federal and state law enforcement agencies.
The Medford Police Department was first alerted to the crimes when local banks reported skimming devices found on ATMs within the city. A Detective quickly identified a pattern of similar crimes occurring nationwide, leading to the discovery that Ionita was behind the operation.
According to court documents, between June and August 2023, Ionita installed skimming devices on ATMs and used the devices to steal account information and Personal Identification Numbers from customers who conducted transactions at the ATMs. Ionita used the stolen information to produce counterfeit debit cards and withdraw cash from victims’ accounts. Over the course of his scheme, Ionita accessed hundreds of bank accounts and stole more than $176,000 from victims in Oregon and Maine.
On August 22, 2023, the Medford Police Department received a report of a masked individual installing a skimming device. Investigators received photos of the man and distributed a law enforcement bulletin to identify the unknown individual. The following day, investigators from Kennebunk Police Department in Kennebunk, Maine, identified Ionita and informed Medford Police Department investigators of their investigation of Ionita installing skimming devices in Maine. Investigators learned that due to his immigration status, Ionita was required to wear a Global Positioning System monitor which confirmed his location at several banks where the ATM skimming devices were installed.
As a result of these combined efforts, Ionita was successfully apprehended and prosecuted for his role in stealing over $176,000 from victims.
