Marius Marian, a 39-year-old Romanian national, has pleaded guilty to a large-scale EBT card fraud scheme in California, in which he stole over $500,000 using skimming devices on ATMs and point-of-sale machines to collect 601 victims’ account data. He encoded the stolen information onto fake cards to withdraw cash from ATMs across Northern California.
Marian also pleaded guilty to bank fraud, asylum fraud, and illegally reentering the U.S. after a previous aggravated felony conviction and deportation. Prosecutors said he caused significant financial hardship to at least 25 victims.
The fraud took place between March 2024 and June 2025, with Marian attempting to steal over $100,000 more in addition to the $507,916 already taken. He also lied on an asylum application filed in April 2023, failing to disclose his past conviction and deportation.
He faces up to 60 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines, and is currently in federal custody. Sentencing is set for October 20.
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