A man from Romania who formerly lived in Hollywood was sentenced on Aug. 4 to 10 years in federal prison for skimming tens of thousands of Electronic Benefit Transfer cards in California and New York.

Catalin-Marius Graur, 43, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $165,697 in restitution. Graur pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Graur, a Romanian citizen who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2020 but overstayed his visa, travelled across Los Angeles and the Inland Empire installing sophisticated skimming devices in ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to record users’ account information. The defendant was arrested in New York City in an Airbnb rental apartment in June 2024. At the time, Graur had more than $37,000 in cash and 1,488 stolen access device numbers.

Graur worked with multiple members of a transnational criminal organization from Romania to carry out the scheme. A search warrant for the residence of one of Graur’s accomplices revealed that Graur had sent him more than 36,000 stolen EBT card numbers over three years.

EBT card recipients, whom Graur specifically targeted, receive benefits designed specifically to help low-income households pay for housing, food and other necessities. The case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Secret Service.