Coral Gables, Fla. – Authorities arrested Laurentiu Urziceanu, a 34-year-old Romanian national, after facial recognition technology linked him to an ATM fraud scheme in Florida. The arrest took place on Wednesday, following his involvement in a series of skimming incidents in Coral Gables.
Urziceanu, from Calafat, Romania, faces three felony charges and is reportedly in the U.S. illegally. Court records reveal his extensive criminal history, including multiple felony convictions in Colorado in 2017 for bank and ATM fraud. He was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Despite being ordered to leave the country under the terms of his release, Urziceanu continued his criminal activities. On November 10, 2023, New York State Police apprehended him and another Romanian accomplice after they were caught installing ATM skimming devices at Family Dollar stores in upstate New York.
In April 2023, Coral Gables police obtained surveillance footage from Synovus Bank, which showed Urziceanu removing a skimming device. The video also revealed a co-conspirator acting as a lookout. Later, Urziceanu returned to the scene, installing a new skimmer and a hidden camera. He was later identified through facial recognition software, which matched his image to a previous criminal record.
According to investigators, Urziceanu is believed to be part of a larger ATM fraud group operating throughout Central and South Florida. He is facing multiple charges, including attempted unlawful use of a scanning device and organized fraud. Urziceanu remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $250,000 bond, with additional warrants out for his arrest.