Full Notification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Woodway Public Safety Department received over twenty Credit/Debit Card Abuse reports between the period of October 16, 2018 to October 24, 2018 where victims reported their card information had been used to withdraw money from ATMs at various banks with a total loss in excess of $20,000. Woodway detectives immediately began an investigation and discovered other similar crimes in Waco and surrounding communities. Surveillance footage was obtained from many of the transactions. Detectives were able to ascertain the individuals were part of an organized group out of Houston traveling through the state using cloned debit cards with information stolen from original cards by the use of skimmer devices. Detectives followed up on numerous leads and worked with local, state, and federal partners to determine the suspects’ identity.

On October 31, 2018 Woodway and Houston PD detectives were able to make a connection to a Houston incident where 23 year old Stefan Banica was arrested at an ATM in Houston where he was attempting to withdraw money using a cloned debit card on 10/29/18. Banica had over 140 cloned debit cards in his possession at the time and matched the identity of one of the suspects in the Woodway cases. Woodway detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Stefan Banica for Engaging in Organized Crime, a second degree felony. This warrant was served on Banica at the Harris County jail where he remains in custody. Woodway detectives are continuing the investigation to identify his co-conspirators and links to other cases around the county and state.