Franklin Park police say three men tied to a Romanian organized-crime group are wanted in connection with credit and debit cards taken from locked lockers at a Franklin Park YMCA last December, followed by thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges. Detectives say the thieves used a low-key tactic: the cards were removed, but the locks were left on the lockers, making the thefts tough to spot until banks and victims started flagging suspicious transactions. Police say the warrants came after months of work with law enforcement partners in several states.
As reported by WPXI, Franklin Park police have active warrants for Robert Amza, Florin Costache, and Mihai Andrei. Investigators believe the men spent thousands of dollars using other people’s card information and have connected the trio to additional crimes while they continue to chase new leads.
Where This Fits in a National Pattern
Federal prosecutors and investigators have increasingly zeroed in on Romanian nationals in multi-state schemes that harvest card data and drain accounts, a trend law-enforcement officials say stretches across retail fraud and benefit-program theft. A U.S. Department of Justice press release in the Northern District of Ohio described an indictment that alleges a point-of-sale skimming and EBT-theft scheme aimed at stealing nearly $1 million in SNAP benefits, and an Eastern District of Louisiana release details a guilty plea tied to skimmer equipment recovered at retail locations. Officials say those federal cases highlight how transnational crews can move quickly between jurisdictions and why local detectives often coordinate closely with national partners.
What Police Are Asking
Franklin Park police are urging anyone who used the YMCA locker area in December, or who later spotted unauthorized charges, to comb through recent bank and card statements and report anything suspicious. Tips and information can be shared through the department’s non-emergency line or its online contact page. The Franklin Park Police Department lists phone numbers and contact details.
Legal Status
Warrants have been issued, but there are no public reports of arrests so far. Investigators say the probe remains active and that prosecutors would determine formal charges if the men are taken into custody. Police plan to release updates as the case moves forward and are asking anyone with video or other potentially useful information to come forward.
