Security

Man sentenced for ATM skimming ring in Chicago

Photo: Adobe Stock

September 23, 2025

Florin Nicolae Tarta, 40, has been sentenced to almost seven years in federal prison for being part of an ATM skimming ring in Westfield and Chicago.

Tarta worked with two others to steal $177,280 from individuals using Bank of America ATMs, according to a report by NJ.com.

He installed a metallic plate with a card reader, memory chip and battery on the ATMs and a pinhole camera. He would later remove these devices and integrated the data onto the magnetic stripes on gift cards. These gift cards were used at another bank in Cranford and a Walgreens in Westfield.

Authorities arrested Tarta when he came to remove a camera from an ATM in Westfield. He is being charged with bank fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

His two associates, Leonid Grigore Smetanca, 45, and Radu Farcas, 42, have been sentenced to three and a half years and two and a half years in prison respectively.