Arrests Made In Bucks County ATM Skimming Scheme

By Justin Heinze:

Two men from New York City have been arrested for a credit card skimming operation that stretched across multiple states and victimized residents around the Philadelphia area, including Bucks County, police announced.

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

Related: Bucks County Card Skimming Suspects Caught On Camera

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.

At this time, other specific locations in Bucks County that were targeted have not been identified by authorities.

Police said that the local 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.

Image via Abington Township Police Department