PORTLAND, Ore. (Dec 20, 2025) — Two Romanian nationals unlawfully residing in the United States made their initial appearances in federal court after being indicted by a grand jury on charges tied to a conspiracy that authorities say stole more than $160,000 in benefits from low-income and food-insecure individuals and families.
Alexandru Telescu, 29, and Aramis Manolea, 35, are charged in a 26-count indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, access device fraud, possession, production and trafficking of device-making equipment, and aggravated identity theft.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners for their unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity of essential programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon. “Those who steal these sacred funds will be held accountable, and we will ensure that these vital programs continue to serve the communities that rely on them.”
“This scheme effectively took food from the dinner tables of struggling American families,” said Carrie Nordyke, special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We’re proud to help our law enforcement partners expose abuse of the SNAP Program and keep government assistance available for those who need it.”
“We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Oregon Department of Human Services, and IRS-CI for their steadfast work on this impactful investigation,” said Shawn Dionida, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General special agent-in-charge.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2025 Telescu and Manolea, along with others, conspired to use stolen Electronic Benefit Transfer account information and PINs to fraudulently purchase SNAP-eligible items, including infant formula and energy drinks. Investigators allege the group used electronic skimming devices to steal EBT account information and PINs from point-of-sale terminals in Oregon and elsewhere.
Authorities say the conspiracy used EBT benefits at grocery stores in Oregon, Washington and California. The stolen goods were packaged in storage units and loaded into vans and trucks for shipment to California.
From July 4 through Oct. 13, 2025, Telescu and co-conspirators allegedly used a Sam’s Club account in California to conduct about 231 fraudulent SNAP transactions totaling roughly $102,000. From Sept. 5 through Sept. 9, 2025, Manolea and a co-conspirator allegedly used 10 separate EBT accounts at Oregon retail stores to steal about $8,739 in SNAP funds. On Sept. 23, 2025, Telescu and co-defendant Andy Perovici are accused of installing a skimming device on a retail point-of-sale terminal in Tigard, Oregon, to capture EBT card data and customers’ PINs.
Telescu and Manolea made their initial appearances before a U.S. magistrate judge, were arraigned, pleaded not guilty and were ordered detained pending trial.
The case is being investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service in Oregon and California and the Oregon Department of Human Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey A. Barrow and Nicholas D. Meyers are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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