2 Romanian men sentenced to federal prison after skimming bank cards in Santa Rosa County

Two Romanian men were sentenced in Pensacola after fraudulently obtaining bank card numbers and attempting to withdrawal cash in a Santa Rosa ATM.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced Monday that 48-year-old Zamfir Nitu and 42-year-old Irinel Irimia were sentenced to 14 months in federal prison following their guilty plea to conspiracy to steal bank card numbers and possession of bank card numbers.

"These cases demonstrate the success of cooperative investigations by federal and local agencies working to identify and arrest those attempting to profit from fraud and theft," said U.S. Attorney Jason Coody. "The protection of our citizens' financial information is paramount, and with the help of our law enforcement partners, we will hold criminals accountable, no matter their national origin."

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Both men will also serve an additional year of probation following their sentence, and they could face deportation back to Romania.

In April 2023, Eglin Federal Credit Union discovered that Nitu and Irimia placed skimming devices on two of the bank's ATMs, skimming "several hundred bank card numbers."

Both then used the skimmed numbers to create fake bank cards and withdrew money from several ATMs. They successfully obtained roughly $17,000.

With the help of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office , Eglin Federal Credit Union's fraud investigation division gathered the necessary evidence against Nitu and Irimia.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 2 Romanian men sentenced to federal prison after skimming bank cards in Santa Rosa County