Two Romanian brothers living in the U.S. without legal status have admitted guilt in North Carolina for their involvement in a scheme that took advantage of the identities of American citizens, nearly defrauding them of $1 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, entered their pleas as part of a case highlighted by Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, who indicated this could be classified as wire fraud.
According to prosecutors, the brothers were part of an identity theft operation from July 2024 to August 2025, during which they gathered personal information from Americans to apply for SNAP benefits across multiple states. At one point, they reportedly siphoned off over $760,000 from the program. There’s also suspicion that they employed electronic skimmers at ATMs and gas stations to drain cash from SNAP cards. The personal data was loaded onto fake bank cards, used to buy products, which they then sold illegally. The losses connected to this card scheme reached tens of thousands of dollars. Ten Americans are known to have had their identities compromised, facing serious consequences as a result.
Reports indicate that at the time of their arrest, the brothers had counterfeit cash cards in their possession.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson remarked that the brothers “exploited some of our most vulnerable citizens,” emphasizing that they diverted benefits meant for people in genuine need for their own profit. He vowed to use all means necessary from the federal government to hold accountable anyone who misuses taxpayer-funded programs and harms individuals reliant on government aid.
Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, added that the agency is determined to combat those who defraud public benefit systems designed to assist Americans in need. He stated, “If you attempt to cheat these programs, we will pursue you with full force of federal law. We are dedicated to safeguarding American taxpayers and the initiatives meant to support them.”
The brothers have admitted guilt to wire fraud, which could lead to sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
This case is part of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to address and prosecute the billions lost annually due to fraud that had previously been overlooked. On April 7, the Trump’s Department of Justice launched the National Fraud Enforcement Office, tasked with these investigations.
The department’s initiatives to fight fraud align with President Trump’s Anti-Fraud Task Force, which is a comprehensive government approach aimed at eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs.
