Classifieds

Sixteen charged in alleged massive EBT fraud scheme Monrovia Old Town report: Hot days + hot rods = cool summer fun

By City News Service By Shawn Spencer

shawn@girlfridaysolutions.net

| Courtesy photo

EBT cards from different states. | Image courtesy of United States Department of Agriculture/ Wikimedia Commons

Sixteen people have been charged in an alleged massive electronic benefit transfer fraud scheme in which funds were siphoned off that were intended for families in need, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Tuesday.

Prosecutors say the case involves the theft of private account information of California EBT card holders, the creation of illegal, cloned cards with victims' account information and the withdrawal of large cash amounts from those accounts at ATMs. That left legitimate cardholders without funds in their accounts when they would later try to make purchases, according to the District

Attorney's Office. "Stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to feed children and families is nothing short of disgusting," Gascón said in a statement announcing the charges. "Let this be a warning to those who wrongly believe they can steal from the taxpayers of California without consequence that we will work with businesses and law enforcement to identify and stop these organized criminal operations."

Those charged are: Nicolae Petrache, 48; Dumitri Florin, 47; Stefan Marin, 46; Marius Gavrilescu and Eduard Bobol, both 45; Cristian Moldova Remus, 43; Viorel Luchian, 41; Nikoli Kostaki, 35; Andreas Graagand, 34; Anca Cretu, 33; Stefan Gunar, 32, Fabi Marconi, 30; Andrei Birau and Nistea Ionutflorin, both 29; and Mayra Cardona and Antonio Bergomi, both 28.

All of the defendants pleaded not guilty Tuesday and were released on electronic monitoring, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Southern California High Tech Task Force, which includes the District Attorney's Office's Bureau of Investigation's Cyber Crimes Section, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Fraud and Cyber Crimes Unit, and the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General. Officials also seized $130,000 in cash and more than 300 cloned EBT cards with an estimated value of $400,000, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The task force also worked in conjunction with the California Department of Social Services, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and numerous financial institutions, including Bank of America's Global Protective Services Team. T he dog days of summer sure aren’t messing around this year. I’m not sure if an egg will actually cook on the ground, but it’s hot as the devil’s b… reath out there. If you can bear to leave your air-conditioned homes, there is much fun to be had in Monrovia. A little something for everyone, if I do say so myself.

First and foremost is the 31st Annual Street Rods Forever Car Show. This is an absolute MUST-see! The only thing hotter than this weather are these cars! Blocks and blocks of hot rod and classic cars that are simply gorgeous! Thirty-eight years ago, a group of guys with cool cars got together and decided to form a club for like-minded car enthusiasts. There were only three rules: no dues, no rules and no women. Over the years, Street Rods Forever has raised thousands of dollars for local charities, such as the Boys and Girls Club, City of Hope, MUSD, the Foothill Unity Center and more!

They are such a wonderful community partner. The event starts at 9 a.m., on Myrtle, but the cars are set up as early as 7 a.m. if you want to try to beat the heat. Go out and support this event. Show some M-town love for this fantastic event. Sadly, the Monrovia Old Town Derby will not be happening this year, in conjunction with the car show. Cross your fingers that we get that back for next year.

On Sept. 24, from 4 p.m. through 8 p.m., do not miss the Monrovia Beer, Wine & Music Festival at Library Park. There will be tastings from local brew masters and wineries. There will be food trucks and lots of entertainment. The tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the door or at monroviacc.com There are also designated driver tickets available for $15. Twenty-one and over ONLY so do not bring your kids or your pets unless they are registered service pets. The beer & wine will be all the emotional support you need.

If you go, stop by Over Town Brewing Co. Yours truly will be pouring the most delicious of all beers! There is free parking throughout town, and do not forget to download the Lyft app, in case y’all imbibe a bit too much. Also, I am not a huge fan of food trucks when we have so much to choose from in Old Town. Don’t forget to show our local eateries some love that day!

Oct. 1 brings us one of my favorite events: MAFA’s 60th Annual Art in the Park Show & Chalk Fest! Join MAFA on their post-COVID comeback tour! There will be more than forty fine artists and fifteen chalk artists. There are kids’ activities, live music and booths featuring some of our local community groups. This funfor-the-whole-family event runs from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m., at Library Park. This is a fantastic opportunity to introduce your children (of all ages), to the magic of art. I hope to see the park packed with people to welcome back MAFA!

I could baby you folks and tell you to stay hydrated and to not forget your sunblock, hats, etc., but I’m not. Y’all are grown and if you don’t know by now then God bless you. Take advantage of the last of these summer days. Before you know it, I will be telling you about our upcoming fall festivities. The weather will be cooler, and these superhot days will be a distant memory. Enjoy the final days of Summer. Sept. 22 will officially bring us the first day of fall.