Renton Man Arrested For ATM 'Skimming' Scam

A Renton man will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle today at 2:30 p.m. for his involvement in a multi-state ATM skimming scheme.

Ionut Buzbichi, 55, is one of three men allegedly responsible for more than $500,000 in skimming thefts in Washington, Idaho and Arizona. He was arrested this morning.

The other men involved are Mihai Eleckes, 35, of Issaquah, and Beneyam Asrat G-Sellassie, 22, of Seattle.

Both Buzbuchi and Eleckes are charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of device making equipment, according to a statement from  U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan with the Department of Justice.

The men first came to the attention of law enforcement in 2009 and targeted BECU, Watermark and First Tech Credit Unions, as well as Chase Bank branch ATMs where they installed "skimmer" devices to collect personal banking details. Customer losses attributed to the conspiracy exceeded $160,000. 

A conviction may mean up to 30 years in prison for BuzBuchi and Eleckes.

G-Sellassie, could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if he's convicted of a separate set of charges for his involvement in the scam. He was arrested in June for his alleged involvement in more than 20 skimming incidents in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.