BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — After brushes with the law across Europe, a Romanian national has now landed in a Florida jail. Romica Aciocanasei, 33, was arrested in Palm Beach County following a series of credit card thefts that authorities say are tied to an international crime ring.
According to police, Aciocanasei entered the U.S. illegally via Mexico and began targeting unsuspecting victims across Florida. Working with an accomplice, he posed as a good Samaritan to deceive people into revealing or surrendering their credit and debit cards.
“He would approach victims in grocery store parking lots, holding a $20 bill and claiming they had dropped it,” said Delray Beach Police Detective Gio Milicchio. “As they opened their wallets to put it away, he would discreetly steal their cards.”
One such incident occurred outside a Whole Foods in Delray Beach. But Aciocanasei’s reach extended far beyond, with victims identified in cities like Boynton Beach, Jupiter, and multiple counties including Pinellas, Brevard, and Hillsborough.
Detectives say the pair often targeted older shoppers in large retail stores. Aciocanasei would observe people entering their PINs at checkout, then later steal the cards using distraction techniques.
Further investigation revealed Aciocanasei is wanted in Texas and is linked to similar scams in Canada, where authorities issued a BOLO alert. Canadian officials connected the crimes to a Romanian network known as the “Roma Group,” a gang notorious for running sophisticated theft and fraud operations.
The case even reached the UK. A Northumbria intelligence analyst confirmed the man arrested in Florida was indeed Aciocanasei and provided multiple aliases. When first detained in January, he used false identification under the name George Tulbure. However, Romanian officials confirmed no such person exists.
With help from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, authorities identified the man as Aciocanasei. He now faces charges ranging from grand theft to racketeering. Investigators believe more suspects may be involved, and the case remains open.
