DARIEN, CONN. — Two Middle Village women and a Maspeth resident were charged with stealing about $50,000 from ATMs in Connecticut, the U.S. District Attorney David Fein said this week.
Sabrina Matache, 21, of Middle Village; Nadia Pasici, 48, of Middle Village; and Laura Stiuca, 31, of Maspeth were arraigned Tuesday in Hartford federal court on charges they allegedly installed “skimming” devices on the ATM and on card swipe access devices used by banks to control access to ATM lobby doors at People’s United Bank locations in Connecticut, according to Fein.
The devices were able to capture the information encoded on the magnetic strips of bank cards used by ATM customers, Fein said. The indictment further alleged the defendants placed pinhole cameras on the ATMs that were positioned in such a way that they were able to record the personal identification numbers bank customers used to gain access to their accounts at the ATM, according to Fein.
The three women then allegedly used this information to withdraw funds from the customers’ accounts, Fein said.
The three have each been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries with it a maximum term of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, according to the DA. Matache and Stiuca were charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, the DA said.
The matter will now go to trial.
