PROVIDENCE – A Romanian man described as an “undeterred serial scammer,” who stole the banking information of hundreds of people through skimming devices installed on ATMs has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison and will face deportation from the United States, prosecutors said.
Mario Demarco, 30, was sentenced on Tuesday in Providence by US District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 33 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release, according to the Rhode Island US Attorney’s office.
Demarco was also ordered to pay $16,567 in restitution, officials said.
Prosecutors said Demarco is also known by the names Marius Lupu and David Adamec. An “immigration detainer has been lodged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” officials said.
“For more than two years, beginning in October 2022, Demarco traveled up and down the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic installing skimming devices on ATMs,” prosecutors said. “These devices intercepted hundreds of customers’ debit card and banking information, which Demarco used to create fraudulent debit cards. The bogus cards were then used to make unauthorized cash withdrawals, attempted withdrawals, and purchases.
“Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Demarco installed skimming devices on at least ten ATMs and compromised at least 952 cards,” officials added.
He pleaded guilty in January to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Demarco now owes restitution payments to 15 different banks, prosecutors said.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
