Lexington police arrest two men accused of placing skimmer on store’s credit card machine
The Lexington Police Department said it has charged two men who are accused of placing a credit card keypad skimmer on a machine at a local store.
Mihai Neacsu, 39, and an unidentified individual police later identified as Angel Damache, 36, are facing charges of first-degree unlawful access to a computer, engaging in organized crime, use of a scan device/re-encoder to access/transactions information from a credit card (first offense) and possession of burglary tools.
Damache was originally identified by an alias, Michele Farsoni, but police said Friday they had determined his true identity.
Police were dispatched to the Winburn Fruit Supermarket on the 1100 block of Winburn Drive Monday after a credit card keypad skimmer overlay was found in the store. Neacsu and Damache were arrested at the store and booked into the Fayette County Detention Center.
The extent of the financial data compromised is unknown, police said. People who shopped at the store are encouraged to check their accounts and report suspicious activity.
Lexington police can be reached at 859-258-3600. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling 859-253-2020 or by visiting their website at www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the P3 Tips app at www.p3tips.com, police said.
Neacsu and Damache are being held at the Fayette County jail on a $10,000, according to jail records. They are scheduled to be in Fayette District Court on July 25 for a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
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Suspects are charged by law enforcement based on initial allegations and evidence that have not yet been proven in court or through jury trial.
In a different incident, Lexington police also arrested two suspects in March after they found skimmers on ATMs at Kroger stores across Lexington.
This story was originally published July 18, 2024 at 1:36 PM.
