Hungarian ATM robbers in the U.S.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser’s officer, a couple of Hungarian nationals have pleaded guilty in federal court on 29th November, after being accused of aggravated identity theft. They admitted that they have used stolen bank account information to obtain cash from Jefferson Parish bank ATMs.

According to court records, Tanase and Tekse were arrested back in 20th June by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in an apartment which the perpetrators rented via Airbnb in Metairie – can be read at Nola.com.

The case started, when detectives received reports of suspicious individuals using several debit cards to withdraw large amounts of cash from ATMs around the parish.

The authorities started their investigation and with the help of Hancock Whitney Bank, who have contributed significantly to the investigation by handing over surveillance photos to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, they were able to obtain the license plate number of a black Toyota Prius.

After a short research, the Sheriff’s Office investigators were able to identify the car’s owner, a U.S. Coast Guard, who, upon being confronted with the facts that his vehicle was spotted in a crime scene, told the investigators that he lent his car using an app, Turo, to a man named Daniel Tanase.

Being hot on the trail, the detectives were able to track down the vehicle to a Carrollton Avenue apartment where they found both members of the couple, Tanase and Tekse, who matched those on the surveillance photos. Along with the perpetrators, they found evidence of their crime as well.

Investigators acquired 81 gift cards with their PIN codes and $32,165 in cash.

Court records say that Tanase told the authorities that he found the cards and PIN codes on the ground and he then proceeded to try them at a nearby ATM to see whether they worked. Tenese had admitted that she withdrew the money from the bank’s ATM, but she did it on Tanase’s instruction.