COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A man was charged with operating a criminal enterprise after prosecutors said he ripped off 200 Chase debit card numbers.
Stefan Petre, whose age is unknown, either refused or was unable to tell authorities his name when the Romanian national was arrested Thursday for using skimming equipment to steal debit card numbers at dozens of Chase ATMs on the North Side, according to a police report and prosecutors.
Stefan, deported under another name from the U.S. to Romania in 2012, installed skimming equipment and a card reader at the door of the Chase branch to record customers card numbers on multiple occasions beginning in February and then used the compromised accounts to withdraw money, Assistant Attorney General Jill Kolinski alleged Friday when he appeared in court for a bond hearing.
Kolinski said the total amount of money stolen by Petre had not yet been determined.
Assisted by a Romanian interpreter, Petre claimed that he had amnesia and could not remember his name.
A Cook County judge ordered that Petre be held on $100,000 bail and required him to hand over his passport if he makes bail.
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