DOJ: 2 undocumented brothers from Romania plead guilty in SNAP benefit scheme
Sign at supermarket entrance with text reading We Welcome EBT customers and a SNAP logo in Lafayette, California, November 13, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says two Romanian brothers living in the United States illegally pleaded guilty Thursday to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits in several states.
The DOJ says Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
What we know:
According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the Dumitrus brothers were part of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000.
Investigators say the brothers and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. They then loaded the stolen information onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices, which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula.
The DOJ says they used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina.
The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards and, according to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship.
Court documents show the brothers were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips.
What they're saying:
"These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits. They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance," said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson in a release.
What's next:
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru and Catalin Dumitru each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by U.S. Department of Justice. This story was reported from Orlando.