Fabrizio Slatineanu, 25, a Romanian national, has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of participating in a credit card skimming operation that defrauded Smith County residents out of over $280,000 in a single weekend. The sentencing took place in front of Judge Austin Reeve Jackson, who emphasized the severe impact the crime had on the victims.
At the sentencing hearing, several victims testified about the devastating financial losses they experienced. Many victims spoke about how the theft left them unable to pay essential bills, such as rent or food, and even impacted their ability to care for their families. Judge Jackson highlighted the emotional and financial toll on the victims, noting that these were “innocent people left unable to meet basic needs due to Mr. Slatineanu’s actions.”
Captain Jeff Roberts, a representative from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, also testified at the hearing. He explained that Romanian organized crime groups were increasingly responsible for cases like this, where credit card skimming operations are used to steal large sums of money from unsuspecting victims. According to Captain Roberts, “the majority” of such schemes in the U.S. are perpetrated by Romanian criminal organizations.
The life sentence comes as a result of Slatineanu’s involvement in the large-scale theft, which impacted countless individuals and caused long-lasting financial hardship. This case has drawn attention to the growing threat posed by international criminal networks engaging in financial crimes within the U.S.
