Man Convicted of Credit Card Skimming in Smith County Gets Life Sentence

February 13, 2025 - Tyler, TX - Judge Reeve Jackson of the 114th District Court sentenced Fabrizio Slatineanu to life in prison for his role in a credit card skimming scheme. Slatineanu, a Romanian national who illegally entered the U.S. through Mexico, is responsible for stealing over $280,000 from Smith County residents in just one weekend.

The ATM skimming scheme involves using devices to capture credit and debit card information at ATMs and gas pumps. Many local families suffered financial hardships, with victims sharing heartbreaking stories of declined cards at grocery stores and missed rent payments.

The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center testified about the prevalence of these crimes, and Captain Jeff Roberts stated that “the majority” of credit card skimming cases like this are committed by organized crime from Romania.

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