Feb 21, 2018 2 min read

A Texas man was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for allegedly placing card skimmers at various banks in the Southwestern Pennsylvania, including one in South Strabane Township.

Nicu Sorin Pantelica, 28, of Houston, a native of Romania, was initially arrested by South Strabane police on charges of access device fraud, possession of unlawful device-making equipment, identity theft and possessing instruments of a crime after he allegedly placed a skimmer on an automated teller machine at First Federal of Greene County, 460 Washington Road, in December. He also was charged last month with theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing $500 from the bank by using an ATM.

Pantelica, according to the indictment, participated in a conspiracy in which he and others placed skimming devices and pinhole cameras on ATMs. The devices collected account information contained on magnetic stripes of bank cards. The pinhole cameras collected personal identification numbers of customers using the ATMs, authorities said.

Pantelica and his alleged conspirators reportedly manufactured cloned ATM cards and then used those cards and personal identification numbers to access and withdraw money from bank accounts.

The U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from South Strabane police, conducted the investigation that led to the indictment. The charges filed by township police are expected to be withdrawn in light of the federal indictment.