A Romanian national has admitted to defrauding large retailers across the United States out of at least $161,000 using a sleight-of-hand scheme. Adrian Stoica, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the country.
According to court documents, Stoica executed at least 170 fraudulent transactions in 20 states between November 2021 and March 2025. After cashiers scanned merchandise, prepaid gift cards, or electronic money transfers for him, Stoica would count out cash in front of them before discreetly removing bills from the stack as he handed it over. This tactic resulted in stores being short-changed by hundreds of dollars per transaction.
The plea agreement details three incidents that took place in Missouri: on February 17, 2023, Stoica shortchanged a Chesterfield store by about $860; on September 7, 2023, he cost an O’Fallon store roughly $690; and on September 8, a Fenton store lost about $660 through his actions.
Stoica faces sentencing on January 27. Each wire fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The illegal entry charge can result in up to two years imprisonment and an equivalent fine. Restitution will also be ordered and Stoica will be deported following his sentence.
Court records indicate that Stoica entered the U.S. illegally multiple times—first via Arizona in 2016, then Texas around October 2018, and again before November 2021 through an unknown location. He was ordered removed from the country in May 2018 and deported again in February 2020. His plea agreement notes he has used several aliases including Boeri Kvec, Borri Kvec, Boeri Stoica and Adrian Anghel.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations led the case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting.
