Fabrizio Slatineanu

A Romanian man was sentenced to life in prison for engaging in organized criminal activity. Fabrizio Slatineanu stole more than $280,000 from Smith County residents in a single weekend, officials said.

Judge Austin Reeve Jackson of the 114th District Court handed down the sentence to Slatineanu, 25, following his conviction for operating a credit card skimming scheme.

At the sentencing hearing, victims testified about the financial hardship they faced after thousands of dollars disappeared from their accounts. Some said they were unable to pay rent or buy groceries. Jackson said their testimony justified the life sentence.

“Because of Mr. Slatineanu’s actions, innocent victims were left unable to pay their rent or put food on their table, and that’s inexcusable,” Jackson said. “We heard testimony about how they couldn’t do things with their kids because their money was suddenly gone.”

The case was prosecuted by Emil Mikkelson of the Smith County District Attorney’s Office with John Terkel serving as Slatineanu’s defense counsel. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Tyler and Lindale police departments and the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, which is based in Tyler but serves the entire state.

Slatineanu is a Romanian national who illegally entered the U.S. through Mexico, Jackson said. 

During the hearing, Capt. Jeff Roberts of the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center testified about the increasing role of Romanian organized crime in financial fraud. He said the majority of credit card skimming cases are linked to organized crime networks from Romania.

Jackson noted Slatineanu had previously been deported twice.