EXCLUSIVE: Majority of the 40 defendants charged in Oregon $3 million SNAP fraud crackdown are illegal immigrants

The schemes involved numerous organized interstate crime rings that have defrauded the federal government of more than $3 million since at least 2024. The fraudsters stole EBT card data, mainly through skimming devices, to procure SNAP-eligible goods and sell them on the black market for personal gain, according to court documents.

At least 11 individuals have been indicted since last month, Oregon US Attorney Scott Bradford announced during a Wednesday press conference. These defendants have been accused of stealing over $140,000 from SNAP recipients.

"When SNAP benefits are stolen, families in Oregon go without food, children in Oregon go without meals, and I will not tolerate that," said Bradford. "If you steal from SNAP recipients, if you skim EBT cards, if you run fraud schemes that target our most vulnerable, your time is up."

The wave of indictments comes as the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon steps up its efforts to combat fraud, which is consistent with the White House Fraud Task Force's goal. Bradford highlighted two major SNAP fraud cases during the press briefing. Several investigations are still underway, with further indictments expected.

In US v Ramirez et al, a federal grand jury rendered indictments in October 2024 against 17 individuals, many of whom are illegal immigrants from Romania and Italy, in a scheme that stole over $2.4 million in SNAP benefits. The ringleader in this case is said to be 25-year-old Ramirez Dumitru, a Romanian national who was unlawfully residing in Gresham, Oregon.

Ramirez Dumitru

Ramirez Dumitru

The conspirators were divided into "theft crews" and "transport crews." The theft crew mainly stole EBT numbers through skimming devices connected to point-of-sale terminals. They used the fraudulently obtained EBT numbers to purchase infant formula, energy drinks, and other SNAP-eligible goods at grocery stores in Oregon and Washington, according to the complaint.

Members of the transport crew collected the stolen EBT-eligible food items and transported the items to California for resale on the illicit market. The transport crew regularly coordinated shipments from a storage unit in Vancouver, Washington, to a storage unit in San Pedro, California, court documents state.

Numerous defendants were captured on video at the Vancouver storage unit

Stolen goods being packaged for shipment to California

According to the US Attorney's Office, 12 of the 17 defendants have been convicted and sentenced to a combined 157 months in prison, while two more have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in December. The remaining three defendants are currently scheduled to go to trial. Many of the defendants in this case have since been deported, the US Attorney's Office told TPM.

Defendant Ana Escalante was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution. She is pictured with co-conspirators Marta de Estrada and Cristina Escalante

Convicted illegal immigrant fraudster and theft crew member Anita Vaduva

Convicted conspirator Oana Caldararu

In a separate case, US v Alexandru Telescu et al., a federal grand jury indicted 12 individuals in November 2025 for their roles in an organized SNAP fraud ring that nearly mirrors the above case. This group, spearheaded by Romanian national Alexandru Telescu, 29, has been accused of stealing at least $700,000 in SNAP benefits from the most vulnerable beginning in April 2025. The crime ring operated in Oregon and Washington and sold their stolen goods on the black market in California. Many of their cases remain ongoing. The majority of defendants in this case are illegal immigrants from Romania and face deportation.

Telescu pleaded guilty in September to access-device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He will be sentenced in January 2027. Two co-conspirators, Aramis and Cristina Manolea, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and were sentenced in May to time served plus three years of supervised release.

Oregon ranks third in the country for SNAP fraud, said Bradford, who explained that the state is vulnerable because the cards aren't chipped and organized crime rings take advantage. "That is unacceptable," said Bradford. "My office will continue pursuing these cases to safeguard the integrity of the program and uphold the trust placed in us to protect Oregon’s communities."