Two Romanian nationals are facing serious charges in the United States for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme that swindled victims out of over $600,000. Bogdan Alexandru Gherghevici, age 26, and Viorel Cristea, age 33, were indicted by a federal grand jury on sixteen counts including federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment states that the elaborate operation run by Gherghevici and Cristea began as early as March and continued through May. They are accused of selling non-existent farming equipment to victims scattered across the country, primarily operating out of Georgia's Southern District. Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons announced the indictment alongside Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank of the HSI Atlanta Field Office, stating, "This case highlights the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to aggressively pursue individuals who exploit others through fraudulent schemes," Schrank explained in a statement on the Justice Department’s website.
According to the Justice Department, if found guilty, Gherghevici and Cristea could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, and a mandatory 2 years for the aggravated identity theft count – served consecutively to any other sentence. However, it is important to note that an indictment is not a conviction, and as such, both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is currently under investigation by the HSI Savannah Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bondura leading the prosecution for the Southern District of Georgia. The defendants, whose alleged "complex operation targeting victims nationwide" resulted in significant financial losses, according to Schrank in a Justice Department statement, will have their sentences determined by a federal district court judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, if convicted.
