Three members of a credit card skimming ring have been sentenced to significant prison terms after targeting customers at retail stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as announced by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office. Gheorge-Ciprian Hilitanu received a 30-year sentence, while Victor Tecu and Ionut Firan-Alexandrau were each sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The scheme, which affected at least 783 victims, involved the installation of hidden skimming devices on payment terminals at CVS and Walgreens locations across North Texas in July 2025. The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center led the investigation, uncovering a large-scale operation that included over 150 skimming devices and numerous fraudulent identification cards.
Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot emphasized the impact of financial crimes on ordinary people. The prosecution was handled by Assistant Criminal District Attorney Aja Reed, with Captain Jeff Roberts of the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center stating that the convictions demonstrate a commitment to protecting the financial system's integrity. Consumers are advised to inspect card readers, cover keypads when entering PINs, and monitor account activity to safeguard against skimming.
