Crime & Safety

Women Accused of ATM Skimming Arraigned

Three Romanian women from New York face over 30 charges for stealing nearly $5,000 from Darien machines

Three Romanian women from New York were arraigned in Stamford Superior Court Friday on charges that stem from an ATM skimming incident that took place at People's Bank in downtown Darien the morning prior.

Greenwich police say 22-year old Sabrina Matche and her two aunts, 31-year-old Laura Stiuca and 48-year-old Nadia Paisci, used a skimming device that typically uses a card scanner and a camera to capture credit card information for the use of creating false debit cards.

According to the arraignment report, authorities flagged the three women at People's Bank in the Goodwives Shopping Center on Friday morning, when the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, operating out of Greenwich Police Department, received reports of activity on a counterfeit debit card used in an early-April skimming incident in Greenwich. 

Darien police assisted in the arrest. Authorities seized $4,965 from one of the women's cars, along with 12 fake debit cards, according to arraignment reports.

The women were held overnight at Greenwich Police Department in lieu of $250,000 bond each. They faced a judge on Friday morning on charges of third-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft, fraudulent use of ATM, second-degree forgery, credit card theft, unlawful possession of access device, receiving goods by use of illegal credit card, unlawful production/completion of a credit card and illegal use of a credit card.

Matche, the youngest of the three women, posted $250,000 bond on Friday afternoon and is due back in court on April 29.

As for the 22-year old's her aunts, police say they are being held on immigration issues. According to reports, Stiuca is currently in Immigration and Custom Enforcement Deportation hearings and Paisci is an ICE Fugitive, wanted by the New York office of ICE Detention and Removal.

"This is a good arrest that hopefully will make a difference when it comes to the ATM skimming that really victimizes society at large," said Lt. Kraig Gray of the Greenwich Police Department.

Police say Thursday's incident was one of many ongoing investigations into skimming incidents that have targeted Darien, Stamford and Greenwich over the past few weeks.

The Financial Crimes Task Force is under the direction of the US Secret Service, New Haven, Connecticut. The Task Force consists of officers from the Connecticut State Police, Greenwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Manchester Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Shelton Police Department, US Postal Inspectors and the US State Department, Diplomatic Security.

Keep it here at darien.patch.com for updates.


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