Dallas, TX
3 Romanian nationals arrested in Dallas, accused of ATM skimmer scheme, officials say
Three men with ties to Romania were arrested last week in Dallas and are accused of participating in an ATM skimming operation in North Texas, authorities say.
Authorities identified the three men as: Mihai Florin Marinescu, 37; Nelu Nae, 36; and Mihai Vlaicu, 47. All three were at the Tarrant County jail Thursday afternoon, online records showed.
John Haecker, a Euless police detective who was one of the investigators on the case, said arrest warrants for the three men were based on two skimmers that were installed on ATMs in Tarrant County. Authorities later found a third skimmer at a bank, Haecker told The Dallas Morning News.
“We are not aware of any skimmers being placed outside of Tarrant County,” Haecker said. “We’ve done a pretty exhaustive search to find additional locations.”
Authorities arrested the trio about 2:30 a.m. June 14in Old East Dallas at a short-term rental property in the 5300 block of Ash Lane, he said. Investigators found more skimming devices at a storage unit near the rental property, Haecker said.
Haecker declined to say which specific locations in Tarrant County authorities found skimmers, but added that none were in Euless.
The investigation was spurred by the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, a partnership between the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, according to a Tuesday news release.
The three men used a combination of “deep-insert” skimmers — which are harder to detect — and pinhole cameras to steal personal identification numbers.
“The information captured by these deep-insert skimmers can be used to create hundreds of cloned debit or credit cards, ultimately stealing money out of the victims’ bank accounts,” the release stated.
Authorities found dozens of illicit devices used for credit card skimming as part of the investigation.
Haecker said the three men are “probably part of a larger ring.”
Each man is accused of engaging in organized criminal activity. Additionally, Marinescu and Nae are accused of unlawful interception, use, or disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications, online records showed.
As of about 7 p.m. Tuesday, Marinescu and Nae’s bail had been set at $105,000, and Vlaicu’s total bail is $95,000, online records showed.
The Dallas Stars start up a brief two-game road trip on Thursday with a game against the San Jose Sharks.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup.
Dallas Stars at San Jose Sharks
When: Thursday, 9 p.m.
Where: SAP Center, San Jose
TV/Streaming: Victory+
Radio: Sportsradio 96.7/1310 The Ticket
Bottom line
The San Jose Sharks host the Dallas Stars after Macklin Celebrini scored two goals in the Sharks’ 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames.
San Jose has a 10-5-3 record in home games and a 17-14-3 record overall. The Sharks have a 15-4-2 record when scoring at least three goals.
Dallas is 22-7-5 overall and 11-2-4 on the road. The Stars have a 12-1-2 record in games their opponents commit more penalties.
The teams meet Thursday for the second time this season. The Stars won the previous matchup 4-1.
Top performers
Jason Robertson has 20 goals and 20 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has scored five goals and added nine assists over the last 10 games.
Celebrini has 18 goals and 33 assists for the Sharks. Tyler Toffoli has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
Last 10 games
Stars: 7-2-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.7 penalties and 8.9 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Sharks: 6-4-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.9 penalties and 7.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett will introduce Dallas hip-hop collective Cure for Paranoia at its upcoming album release show in Deep Ellum, according to frontman Cameron McCloud. The Dallas Observer reported the news first.
“I just said I’d love for her to be at the show if she was in town,” McCloud said in a text message. “She didn’t even have to come up if she didn’t want to and she said ‘Oh no, I’m definitely getting on stage.’”
Crockett, a Dallas Democrat, catapulted into the national spotlight in 2024 after a tense exchange with fellow U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a House committee meeting. She has since been regarded as a progressive firebrand, frequently in the headlines for heated back-and-forths with politicians across the aisle.
Crockett also recently launched a bid for the U.S. Senate, promoting her campaign in an Instagram video with McCloud, who wrote a verse about her. He has posted new raps every day this year.
“Who else willing to go toe to toe against the president?” he recited in Day No. 343’s verse, adding a later nod to Crockett’s viral remarks about Greene: “Texas tough don’t need no more bad built bleach blonde butch bodies moving forward.”
Crockett discovered McCloud through social media.
“I started listening and thought ‘Man, he’s a genius.’ I was impressed by his ability to sum up what’s going on in under a minute and with accuracy,” she said in a statement. “Especially at a time when people are not listening to traditional news and the easiest thing to do is keep scrolling, Cure captures people’s attention. I was floored to know that not only was he a Texan but a Dallasite.”
Crockett, who has a penchant for alliteration in her speeches, teased a potential performance during her introduction. “I’m known to drop some bars from time to time so you’ll just have to be there and see.”
Cure for Paranoia’s show will be on Dec. 26 at Trees. It will be pegged to the group’s new album, Work of A.R.T., which is slated for release on Dec. 22.
Details
Tickets cost $30.35. 7 to 11 p.m. on Dec. 26. 2709 Elm St., Dallas. For more information, visit treesdallas.com/shows/cure-for-paranoia.
Los Angeles Lakers (18-7, third in the Western Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (10-15, 10th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -6.5; over/under is 241.5
BOTTOM LINE: Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers after the Jazz took down the Dallas Mavericks 140-133 in overtime.
The Jazz are 6-11 in conference matchups. Utah allows the most points in the Western Conference, giving up 126.1 points and is allowing opponents to shoot 48.8%.
The Lakers have gone 13-5 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles has a 5-0 record in one-possession games.
The Jazz are shooting 45.8% from the field this season, 2.3 percentage points lower than the 48.1% the Lakers allow to opponents. The Lakers are shooting 50.4% from the field, 1.6% higher than the 48.8% the Jazz’s opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Lakers won 108-106 in the last matchup on Nov. 24. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 33 points, and Keyonte George led the Jazz with 27 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Lauri Markkanen is scoring 27.8 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Jazz. George is averaging 37.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 55.0% over the past 10 games.
Doncic is averaging 34.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 26 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 5-5, averaging 119.1 points, 44.2 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.1 points per game.
Lakers: 7-3, averaging 118.8 points, 42.4 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 6.0 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.9 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Georges Niang: out (foot), Jusuf Nurkic: day to day (rest), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder).
Lakers: Maxi Kleber: day to day (back), Austin Reaves: out (calf).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
These wind gusts in Colorado reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane
Lamont Seeks $168M From Emergency Reserve To Offset Federal Cuts To Health, Housing And Food Aid
AIG Unit Sued Over Coverage for Delaware Plant Mercury Cases
Florida football’s Tank Hawkins announces entry into transfer portal
Georgia Tech Athletics Receives a Pair of $10 Million Gifts
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Texas Republicans launch ‘Sharia Free America Caucus’ aimed at defending ‘Western civilization’
UK police arrest four people for pro-Palestine ‘Intifada’ calls
BBC Verify Live: Fact-checking Trump’s unusual new White House presidential plaques
Border Patrol chief, progressive mayor caught on camera in tense street showdown: ‘Excellent day in Evanston’
European Parliament asks for EU funds to finance abortions abroad
-
Iowa4 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Washington1 week agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine2 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland4 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
South Dakota4 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class