Two Romanian brothers who were living illegally in the United States pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday for their roles in a scheme that stole more than $760,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from recipients in multiple states, federal prosecutors said.
Marian Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court records, the brothers were part of an identity theft ring that operated between July 2024 and August 2025, targeting SNAP recipients in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states. Prosecutors said the group used skimming devices installed at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations to steal data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits.
The stolen account information was transferred onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices. Prosecutors said the defendants then used the counterfeit cards at warehouse clubs to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk merchandise, including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula, which they later transported or intended to resell for profit.
Court records state the brothers used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen SNAP information from Massachusetts and New Jersey recipients to purchase more than $15,600 worth of merchandise at a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and more than $19,000 at another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina.
Federal prosecutors said the scheme victimized more than 10 SNAP recipients, with some suffering substantial financial hardship after losing access to their benefits.
Investigators also found the brothers in possession of at least 15 counterfeit or unauthorized bank cards encoded with stolen SNAP EBT account information, along with blank magnetic-strip cards, according to court documents.
“The Fraud Division will not tolerate anyone who steals from public benefits programs designed to support Americans in need,” said Colin M. McDonald, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, in a statement. “If you attempt to defraud these programs, we will come after you with the full force of federal law.”
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said the defendants “came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits.”
The brothers each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
The case is part of a broader DOJ initiative to combat fraud involving federal benefit programs.
In April, the department established the National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute fraud against the American public. The effort also supports President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President JD Vance, which is focused on reducing fraud, waste, and abuse across federal benefit programs.
