DIICOT prosecutors and members of the Criminal Organized Crime Service, assisted by the FBI, conducted eight raids in Argesh and Teleorman counties to capture members of the “Sandu Syndicate” wanted in the US for fraud. $5 million in illegal unemployment benefits obtained in the state of California.

According to some reports from the Romanian police and DIICOT, the descents took place on the basis of an international judicial commission sent by the American judicial authorities to persons who are being investigated on the territory of the United States for committing the crimes of creating an organized criminal group, fraud. with particularly serious consequences and money laundering, in the period 2020-2022.

At the same time, the person who is the subject of a request for temporary arrest for the purpose of extradition formulated by the American authorities was taken to the headquarters of the prosecutor’s office next to the Pitesti Court of Appeal.

American federal authorities have indicted 14 Romanian citizens suspected of involvement in the activities of the criminal group known as the Sandu Syndicate, the leader of which was arrested in March 2023 in the United States.

As part of the investigation conducted by the US authorities, it was found that, starting in July 2020 and ending in August 2022, members of the “Sandu Syndicate” group, consisting of Romanian nationals, participated in a criminal fraud scheme. receive public assistance from the State of California, namely unemployment assistance provided by the California Employment Development Department (EDD).

As a result of the investigation carried out on the territory of the United States, data emerged according to which the members of the group fraudulently obtained benefits from the EDD for themselves, and also helped others to obtain benefits in exchange for a part of these sums collected fraudulently.

Also in November 2021, US authorities became aware of a series of theft-related crimes targeting elderly people in San Diego, California.

During the investigation, U.S. authorities discovered a criminal organization composed of Romanian nationals residing in Vilca County that engaged in fraud and theft throughout the United States, finding that the criminal scheme was designed to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits from the state California.

The investigation revealed that members of the group acted systematically to facilitate the fraudulent receipt of certain financial benefits by hundreds of Romanian citizens from the EDD, through the submission of applications, the creation of falsified supporting documents and backdated benefits. programs.

Specifically, beginning in July 2021, group leaders posted social media ads for services or appointments to fraudulently solicit financial benefits from the California EDD consisting of $1,000 to $1,500 to open accounts within the app.

In addition, the ringleaders allegedly developed a process to obtain material benefits through the use of false IDs, falsified utility bills, falsified income statements, falsified forms, and false health insurance cards.

Additionally, they could falsify claims by “backdating” or altering them to falsely mention an earlier unemployment start date in order to obtain additional fraudulent income.

Damage to the state of California is estimated at approximately $5,200,000.

The 27-year-old man, who is the subject of a request for temporary arrest for the purpose of extradition made by the US authorities, was presented to the prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Appeal of Pitesti, who ordered his detention for 24 hours, later a preventive measure was chosen in the form of detention for 30 days from for the purpose of extradition to the territory of the United States.

Also, on November 14, three more members of the group were arrested in the USA.

After searches carried out in Romania, 4,700 lei, 8,000 euros, a car worth approximately $105,000, approximately 300 grams of gold jewelry, four luxury watches (one worth $55,000 and the other $15,500) were seized. , 24 license plates showing signs of being stolen from the US, a cell phone, documents related to the case, and a white weapon.

The action was facilitated by the support of the policemen of the Pitesti Organized Crime Brigade, the Teleorman Organized Crime Service, the criminal investigation services of Arjes and Vilca, and the gendarmes of the Special Intervention Brigade of Romania “Vlad Cepes”. Gendarmerie.

A federal agent and an analyst from the FBI office in San Diego, a federal agent from the Internal Revenue Service, and three representatives from the FBI office in Bucharest assisted in the operational actions of the police units for the fight against organized crime.

Police cooperation between the law enforcement forces of the two states was carried out through the FBI office in Bucharest. (Agerpress)