United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana
07/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2025 08:58
Romanian Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
Press Release
Romanian Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RAMBO HARNA ("HARNA"), citizen of Romania, pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court records, HARNA, and others, conspired to defraud Walmart stores across the country, out of merchandise, money orders, and money transfer requests. The scheme unfolded when a co-conspirator would count money out in front of a cashier, while another of the co-conspirators, including HARNA, would help to distract the cashier. Using a sleight-of-hand technique, the co-conspirator would pretend to hand the cashier the full amount while secretly retrieving a large portion of the cash. The co-conspirators would then return merchandise for a refund to other Walmart stores in a different state or obtain the full value of money orders and money transfer requests after having only paid for a fraction of the cost.
At the sentencing hearing scheduled for July 23, 2025, before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, HARNA faces up to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Walmart Home Office Central Investigations Organized Retail Crime Division in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated July 8, 2025
Topic
Operation Take Back America
Component
USAO - Louisiana, Eastern
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