Police: 'International crime ring' targeted gyms to steal credit cards - Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet

InsuranceNewsNet — Your Industry. One Source.™

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading Newswires
Topics
    • Advisor News
    • Annuity Index
    • Annuity News
    • Companies
    • Earnings
    • Fiduciary
    • From the Field: Expert Insights
    • Health/Employee Benefits
    • Insurance & Financial Fraud
    • INN Magazine
    • Insiders Only
    • Life Insurance News
    • Newswires
    • Property and Casualty
    • Regulation News
    • Sponsored Articles
    • Washington Wire
    • Videos
    • ———
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact
    • Editorial Staff
    • Newsletters
  • Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Newsletters
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • AdvisorNews
  • Annuity News
  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Fiduciary
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Insurance & Financial Fraud
  • INN Exclusives
  • INN Magazine
  • Insurtech
  • Life Insurance News
  • Newswires
  • Property and Casualty
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Video
  • Washington Wire
  • Life Insurance
  • Annuities
  • Advisor
  • Health/Benefits
  • Property & Casualty
  • Insurtech
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Editorial Staff

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
Newswires
Newswires RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints
June 5, 2025 Newswires
Share
Share
Tweet
Email

Police: 'International crime ring' targeted gyms to steal credit cards

Robert MarchantThe Greenwich Time

GREENWICH -- When Greenwich police were alerted to a necklace and a bracelet allegedly purchased on Greenwich Avenue with a stolen credit card earlier this year, it didn't take long to find a lengthy trail left by the accused perpetrator.

Greenwich investigators, working with other law enforcement agencies around the region, quickly determined the fraudulent purchase in Greenwich matched the pattern of what authorities referred to in an affidavit as "a transnational organized crime ring out of Romania," that uses credit cards stolen from gyms and fitness centers.

Alende Olteanu, 30, a Romanian national whose last known address was on 48th Avenue in Woodside, Queens, N.Y., is facing charges in Greenwich of first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny, conspiracy to commit identity theft and conspiracy to commit payment card theft, all of which are felonies. He was also charged this week by Darien police with payment card theft, a felony, and sixth-degree larceny, a misdemeanor.

Greenwich police were contacted by a Rye, N.Y. resident in February after his credit cards were reportedly stolen from the YMCA in Rye, according to the arrest warrant application. One of the credit cards was used to make a purchase of $22,304 at Tiffany's on Greenwich Avenue. An attempt to make a $1,180 purchase on the same day at a cosmetics store on Greenwich Avenue was declined.

A police detective in Rye told Greenwich authorities that the fraudulent activity was consistent with a previous record of credit cards stolen from locker rooms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Olteanu allegedly used a forged North Dakota driver's license to gain a day pass at the YMCA centers where he went into locker rooms.

The Rye man did not lose any money following theft of his bank cards, according to the affidavit, but the Capital One bank took the loss of $22,304.

Police in Limerick, Pa., and Radnor, Pa., had arrested Olteanu on previous occasions for credit card fraud, the court filing stated, and he was also recently picked up in Red Bank, N.J., in March. Police in Maywood, N.J., told Greenwich police that Olteanu had been found with a small piece of metal in a locker room in a fitness center in that town "that he was using to pick locks," according to an affidavit.

Police said Olteanu was identified and linked to the Greenwich case by his physical appearance, tattoos and other investigative techniques, the affidavit stated. Police contacted a British law enforcement agency with high-end facial recognition software at its disposal to help make the case, the affidavit stated.

While he was in Superior Court in Stamford Monday on the Greenwich charges, Olteanu was also charged by Darien police. A local man told Darien police he was working out at the Darien YMCA on March 7. According to the affidavit out of Darien, the alleged victim told police that two credit cards later went missing from his locker and a man fitting Olteanu's description appeared to be hovering around him while he was entering the lock's code, gleaning the numbers.

A stolen card was later used to make a purchase of $11,206 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Greenwich, the court filing stated. YMCA personnel told police a driver's license from North Dakota was used by the suspect to gain a day pass.

Greenwich police went to the the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton. Pa., where Olteanu was being detained on charges in that state, and brought him to Greenwich on Saturday to face the felony charges.

Bail was set at $50,000, and Olteanu was still in state custody this week. An alleged co-conspirator, another Romanian national, is still at large, according to police.

Older

CALIFORNIA BRIEFS: Owner of Santee trucking company charged in $2 million credit card scheme

Newer

Massachusetts No-Fault Insurance Explained: PIP Benefits vs. Personal Injury Claims

Advisor News

  • Bill that could expand access to annuities headed to the House
  • Private equity, crypto and the risks retirees can’t ignore
  • Will Trump accounts lead to a financial boon? Experts differ on impact
  • Helping clients up the impact of their charitable giving with a DAF
  • 3 tax planning strategies under One Big Beautiful Bill
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • An Application for the Trademark “EMPOWER INVESTMENTS” Has Been Filed by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company: Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
  • Bill that could expand access to annuities headed to the House
  • LTC annuities and minimizing opportunity cost
  • Venerable Announces Head of Flow Reinsurance
  • 3 tax planning strategies under One Big Beautiful Bill
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits News

  • Health insurance in retirement
  • Craig Schillig: Health insurance in retirement
  • TRUMP'S REAPER' IS COMING FOR YOUR DISABILITY BENEFITS
  • Cancer patient denied treatment until it was too late Cancer patient denied potential life-saving treatment until it was too late (copy)
  • Missouri Farm Bureau launches new health plans, raising concerns about coverage limits
Sponsor
More Health/Employee Benefits News

Life Insurance News

  • On the Move: Dec. 4, 2025
  • Judge approves PHL Variable plan; could reduce benefits by up to $4.1B
  • Seritage Growth Properties Makes $20 Million Loan Prepayment
  • AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Kansas City Life Insurance Company; Downgrades Credit Ratings of Grange Life Insurance Company; Revises Issuer Credit Rating Outlook to Negative for Old American Insurance Company
  • AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Bao Minh Insurance Corporation
More Life Insurance News

- Presented By -

Top Read Stories

More Top Read Stories >

NEWS INSIDE

  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Economic News
  • INN Magazine
  • Insurtech News
  • Newswires Feed
  • Regulation News
  • Washington Wire
  • Videos

FEATURED OFFERS

Slow Me the Money
Slow down RMDs … and RMD taxes … with a QLAC. Click to learn how.

ICMG 2026: 3 Days to Transform Your Business
Speed Networking, deal-making, and insights that spark real growth — all in Miami.

Your trusted annuity partner.
Knighthead Life provides dependable annuities that help your clients retire with confidence.

Press Releases

  • Altara Wealth Launches as $1B+ Independent Advisory Enterprise
  • A Heartfelt Letter to the Independent Advisor Community
  • 3 Mark Financial Celebrates 40 Years of Partnerships and Purpose
  • Hexure Launches AI Enabled Version of Its Platform to Power Life Insurance Sales
  • National Life Group Board Approves Dividends for 2026
More Press Releases > Add Your Press Release >

How to Write For InsuranceNewsNet

Find out how you can submit content for publishing on our website.
View Guidelines

Topics

  • Advisor News
  • Annuity Index
  • Annuity News
  • Companies
  • Earnings
  • Fiduciary
  • From the Field: Expert Insights
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Insurance & Financial Fraud
  • INN Magazine
  • Insiders Only
  • Life Insurance News
  • Newswires
  • Property and Casualty
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Washington Wire
  • Videos
  • ———
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Editorial Staff
  • Newsletters

Top Sections

  • AdvisorNews
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits News
  • InsuranceNewsNet Magazine
  • Life Insurance News
  • Property and Casualty News
  • Washington Wire

Our Company

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Meet our Editorial Staff
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Write for INN

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter
© 2025 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • InsuranceNewsNet Magazine

Sign in with your Insider Pro Account

Not registered? Become an Insider Pro.
Insurance News | InsuranceNewsNet