Romanian Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $500,000 in US Government Benefits

A 39-year-old Romanian man, Marius Marian, has admitted to committing multiple crimes, including stealing more than $500,000 from a US government benefits program. His fraudulent activities have caused significant financial harm to numerous individuals who rely on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) funds to cover essential expenses.

According to the Northern District of California’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, Marian utilized sophisticated methods to unlawfully obtain EBT funds. He obtained over $500,000 by exploiting the EBT system and victimizing at least 25 individuals. Marian’s scheme involved using skimmer devices on ATM and point-of-sale machines to capture victims’ EBT card information, which he then used to withdraw cash illegally.

In addition to the bank fraud charges related to the EBT scheme, Marian also pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous aggravated felony conviction. Furthermore, he admitted to submitting false information on his asylum application to the US Department of Homeland Security.

Marian’s criminal activities spanned from March 2024, during which he fraudulently obtained EBT funds through over 601 unique victim EBT account identifiers. These funds are crucial for low-income individuals to cover expenses such as food, rent, childcare, and medical bills.

As a result of his actions, Marian withdrew $507,916 in cash and attempted to withdraw even more funds. His illegal activities have had a substantial impact on the victims, causing financial hardship and distress.

For his crimes, Marian faces severe penalties, including up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud, up to 10 years for illegal reentry into the US, and up to 20 years for asylum fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing on October 20th.

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Featured Image: Shutterstock/SerGRAY/Natalia Siiatovskaia