Three individuals have been sentenced to significant prison terms for their involvement in a credit card skimming operation that affected customers at retail stores throughout North Texas. The Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office reported the sentences following guilty pleas from Gheorge-Ciprian Hilitanu, Victor Tecu, and Ionut Firan-Alexandrau.
The scheme, which took place in July 2025, targeted shoppers at CVS and Walgreens locations. It was uncovered by the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, which revealed that the defendants had installed hidden devices on payment terminals to capture sensitive debit and credit card information. This operation compromised the financial data of at least 783 individuals.
Following their arrests, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an Airbnb where the suspects were staying. Authorities recovered over 150 skimming devices, 237 re-encoded gift cards with stolen information, and equipment for creating counterfeit cards. Hilitanu was sentenced to 30 years in prison for various charges, while Tecu and Firan-Alexandrau each received 20-year sentences.
Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot emphasized the impact of such financial crimes on everyday individuals. He noted that the sentences reflect the serious consequences of organized financial crime. To protect against skimming, consumers are advised to inspect card readers, cover keypads when entering PINs, and monitor account activities regularly.
