Romanian National Jailed in Maryland for $344K SNAP Scam

BALTIMORE — Maria Roza Tomescu, a 22-year-old Romanian national living unlawfully in the United States, was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for defrauding at least 15 Maryland residents out of nearly $344,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Federal prosecutors detailed how Tomescu deployed skimming devices on checkout counters at stores including a Walmart in Columbia and a 7-Eleven in Laurel, capturing EBT card data and PINs to clone cards. She then used the duplicate cards for personal purchases, such as Red Bull at a Sam's Club in Severn, Howard County.

Tomescu's operation extended beyond Maryland, reaching California, Kentucky, Tennessee and New York, where she opened two bank accounts under a false identity to deposit checks payable to local churches. Her co-conspirator, Fabritio Sardaru, was sentenced to prison last month for his role in the scheme. The fraud targeted low-income families reliant on SNAP, exacerbating food insecurity in communities like Howard and Anne Arundel counties.

Maryland has faced a wave of EBT fraud, replacing more than $48 million in stolen benefits since March 2023. Tomescu's case underscores vulnerabilities in the state's food assistance system, where skimming devices siphon funds meant for groceries from vulnerable households across the region.