Overview
- Orange County sheriff's investigators arrested Romanian nationals Romita Achitei, Paul Agafitei and George Asafiei on Jan. 6 on felony counts including grand theft, identity theft and forgery.
- Detectives say the crew watched victims enter PINs, dropped cash to divert attention, swapped ATM cards with fakes, then used the real cards to withdraw money and make purchases.
- A November 2025 Villa Park case provided the break, with surveillance helping identify a gray SUV and connect similar incidents across Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Francisco and Sacramento counties.
- Authorities report at least a dozen victims so far and believe there are more; anyone with information is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at 714-647-7000.
- As of Feb. 4, two suspects were free on $40,000 bail and one remained in custody, and officials urged people to cover keypads and keep strangers at arm’s length at ATMs and retail checkouts.