Romanian national sentenced for multi-state wire fraud scheme in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. — A Romanian national has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a sophisticated “quick change” wire fraud scheme that targeted retailers across the Jackson metro area and the eastern United States, Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced.
Loredana Gianina Sava, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kristi H. Johnson to six months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Following her term, Sava will serve one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $6,500 in restitution to the affected businesses.
Sava, who entered the country illegally, will be subject to deportation proceedings upon her release.
The Investigation
The conviction follows an intensive investigation by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Fraud Task Force and the United States Secret Service. Surveillance footage captured Sava at various retail locations utilizing sleight-of-hand techniques to manipulate wire transfer transactions.
In these “quick change” schemes, perpetrators use distractions and rapid movements to pocket cash while ensuring they receive the correct change for a large bill, effectively stealing funds from the cashier’s drawer during the exchange. Investigators eventually linked Sava to more than 300 instances of wire fraud spanning the eastern half of the U.S.
“I am proud of the work our Cyber Fraud Task Force did to attain justice for the retailers who were victims of this crime,” Attorney General Fitch said. “Financial schemes like this undermine Mississippi businesses and hardworking individuals. Thank you to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for helping us hold this perpetrator accountable.”
Task Force Impact
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. The sentencing marks another victory for the Attorney General’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, which Fitch’s office credits with recovering $2.6 million in victim funds for Mississippi citizens to date.
