Romanian national sentenced to prison for bank fraud crime related to ATM skimming

CINCINNATI – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati today to 12 months and one day in prison a federal crime related to ATM skimming.

According to court documents, Danut Valentin Urseiu, 32, conspired with others to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of Ohio in January and February 2023.

Urseiu conspired with others to place skimming devices onto a financial institution’s ATMs in the greater Cincinnati area, including in Cincinnati, Green Township and Liberty Township.

Co-conspirators used the fraudulent access devices to steal information from cardholders and defraud financial institutions.

The financial institution reported that multiple ATM locations were victimized during the timeframe Urseiu and his co-conspirators were operating in the Southern District of Ohio.

Fingerprints on cameras placed with the skimming devices in Ohio matched Urseiu’s prints from arrests in New York and Michigan.

Urseiu’s cell phones contained photos of ATM skimming devices, recording devices and large amounts of cash.

Urseiu pleaded guilty in May 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case.

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