LEEDS, England — A Romanian man who stole approximately £40,000 from more than 500 cash machines across England has been sentenced to four years in prison, following a large-scale investigation by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU).
Florin Ivascu, 40, of Dagenham, London, appeared before Leeds Crown Court where he admitted to 545 counts of theft from ATMs and associated criminal damage. His partner in crime, Andrei Matei, 35, of Crumpsall, Manchester, had already been sentenced to two years and three months in February after admitting to similar offences involving 483 machines.
Both men are expected to be deported after serving their sentences, as confirmed by court officials.
The scheme involved jamming ATM dispensers to gain access to cash, with Ivascu executing the theft while Matei served as a lookout. Authorities say the damage to ATMs exceeded £60,000. Their crimes affected 27 out of 40 police force areas in England, with locations spanning from Merseyside to Dorset and Northumbria to Thames Valley.
The investigation began in West Yorkshire but quickly expanded into a nationwide operation, with CCTV footage and inter-agency cooperation playing crucial roles in identifying the extent of their activity. The pair were ultimately arrested in Nottingham in 2023.
“This was organised, calculated and widespread criminal activity,” said Neil Bottomley, economic crime investigator at YHROCU. “These individuals were prolific, and I’m pleased they’ve been brought to justice.”
The judge commended three YHROCU officers for their exemplary work in piecing together the case, which relied on evidence from hundreds of locations and collaboration with multiple police forces.
