Romanian Illegal Alien Charged with Wire Fraud in Scheme to Defraud Walmart

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An illegal alien from Romania has been charged by a federal grand jury with one count of wire fraud involving a scheme to defraud Walmart of thousands of dollars.

Hozu Rostas, 25, of Romania, was charged in an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. on Aug. 28, 2026. The federal indictment charges Rostas with one count of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, between February 2025 and June 2026, Rostas would carry out a confidence scheme at Walmart stores throughout the United States, including a Walmart in Columbia, Mo. Rostas would use a sleight of hand technique to shortchange Walmart cashiers of money. Specifically, Rostas would select merchandise and then count out the money in separate piles. After the cashier counted the money, Rostas would take it back, quietly remove a portion, and then return the reduced amount without being detected. After the cashier put the money into the teller, Rostas would leave with the merchandise. Rostas would then go to another Walmart store and return the merchandise for the full amount. According to the indictment, Rostas obtained more than $150,000 during this scheme.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.