Romanian national Gavril Sandu, 53, has been extradited to the United States for his role in a hacking scheme that took place 17 years ago.
“On November 14, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment charging Gavril Sandu, 53, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Sandu was arrested in Romania on January 9, 2026. He was extradited to the United States on April 30, 2026.” reads the press release published by DoJ.
The move closes a long-running cybercrime investigation revealed by the Justice Department.
The man appeared in a U.S. court after being extradited from Romania to face charges of bank fraud and conspiracy for his role in an international vishing scheme. Indicted in 2017, Sandu was arrested in Romania on January 9, 2026, and transferred to U.S. custody on April 30, 2026.
According to prosecutors, between May 2009 and October 2010, Sandu and co-conspirators hacked into small businesses’ VoIP systems, using them to make spoofed phone calls that impersonated banks and tricked victims into revealing debit card and PIN numbers. The stolen credentials were used to access accounts and steal funds.
“Greed crosses borders, but so does our relentless pursuit of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, emphasizing that international cyberscammers will face prosecution no matter where they operate.
The case underscores how global cooperation and timely extraditions remain vital to combating cyber-enabled financial fraud.
Investigators allege that Sandu collected these stolen credentials, used them to forge magnetic stripe cards, and acted as a money mule, withdrawing cash from compromised ATMs and bank accounts. He then split the proceeds with his co‑conspirators.
Following his extradition from Romania, Sandu was placed in federal custody awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
“Scams originating outside of our country are out of control. Wherever scammers operate – here or abroad – we will use every tool available to bring them to justice.” concludes U.S. Attorney Ferguson.
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