Three Romanian nationals have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 20 to 30 years for their roles in a credit card skimming operation that targeted shoppers at pharmacies across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Gheorge-Ciprian Hilitanu, Victor Tecu, and Ionut Firan-Alexandrau pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges tied to the scheme, which prosecutors said victimized nearly 800 North Texas consumers in July 2025.
Authorities said the defendants placed concealed electronic skimmers on payment terminals inside CVS and Walgreens locations throughout the metroplex, capturing debit and credit card information from the magnetic strips. That stolen data can then be used to clone cards or make unauthorized purchases, investigators said.
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center led the investigation, which tracked the group to an Airbnb rental. A search warrant executed at the property turned up what prosecutors described as a substantial card-manufacturing operation.
Investigators recovered more than 150 skimming devices, 237 re-encoded gift cards loaded with stolen account data, 25 fraudulent international identification documents and passports, and card-making equipment. A forensic examination of the seized items identified at least 783 unique victims.
Sentences
State District Judge Lela Mayes issued the sentences in late June.
On June 25, Hilitanu entered an open guilty plea and received a 30-year prison term for engaging in organized criminal activity and fraudulent use of a credit or debit card. He was also given a 20-year sentence for tampering with a governmental record and unlawful use of electronic communication.
Four days later, on June 29, Tecu and Firan-Alexandrau each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 20 years in prison on all charges. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorney Aja Reed.
Official Response
“Financial crimes like these affect everyday people who are simply going about their lives,” Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot said in a statement. “The defendants in this case operated a sophisticated criminal enterprise that victimized hundreds of people across North Texas.”
Texas FCIC Captain Jeff Roberts said the convictions “send a clear message: we will pursue those who threaten the security of our financial systems and the economic well-being of our state.”
Officials urged consumers to check card readers for loose components before swiping, shield the keypad while entering a PIN, and review bank statements regularly for unusual activity.
