Philly Card Skimmers Arrested After Victimizing Hundreds: Police

PHILADELPHIA – Two men from New York City have been arrested in connection with a credit card skimming operation that stretched across multiple states and victimized residents around the Philadelphia area, authorities announced Tuesday night.

Bogdan Gheorghe Stoica, 36, and Janos Mihalka, both of Queens, face 761 charges of access device fraud and 184 counts of identity theft for crimes in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Bucks counties.

An investigation began on Sept. 19 when police became aware that a skimming device had stolen money and information from an ATM in Abington Township, authorities said.

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The device operated for eight different days between Aug. 11 and Aug. 26 at the Citizens Bank on 1359 York Road, according to police.

The device would duplicate the information from the card's magnetic strip, and a small camera would then capture the PIN number inputted by the victim.

Police said that a total of 182 customers at that Citizens Bank had their debit card information compromised. Similar devices victimized customers at ATMs in the following locations: Beneficial Bank, 1601 The Fairway, in the Jenkintown section of Abington Citizen’s Bank, 1919 Easton Rd., in the Willow Grove section of Abington, Other ATMs throughout Upper Moreland Township, Springfield Township, and Cheltenham Township At this time, other specific locations have not been identified by authorities.

Police said that the Montgomery County incidents were eventually connected to very similar crimes that were being investigated by the New York City Police Department.

Detectives from Abington and Upper Moreland traveled to New York City to execute search warrants and arrest Stoica and Mihalka.

As a result of the investigation, a connection was made to similar crimes being investigated by the New York City Police Department.

Some $16,000 in cash, several hundred gift cards, and equipment and supplies used to manufacture skimming devices were found in their apartment.

Both suspects are currently in custody in New York City and preliminary hearings are forthcoming.

Story by Justin Heinze

Image via Abington Township Police Department