Four Arrested for Alleged EBT Benefits Theft in San Diego County

Suspects accused of stealing over $350,000 from hundreds of low-income victims

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Federal prosecutors have announced the arrests of four individuals accused of stealing public assistance benefits from low-income California families. The suspects allegedly used card skimmers to steal EBT account information, re-encode it onto cloned cards, and withdraw funds from ATMs across San Diego County before the state could disburse the benefits.

Why it matters

This case highlights an ongoing issue of EBT benefits theft that has resulted in millions of dollars in losses for vulnerable, low-income Californians. The U.S. Attorney's Office says over 52 people have been charged in San Diego since 2023 for similar crimes, underscoring the need to strengthen protections for these critical public assistance programs.

The details

The four recently arrested suspects - Razvan Balu, Juan Trandafir, Hassib Baraekzay, and Veronica Ochoa - are accused of stealing over $350,000 from hundreds of victims across multiple California counties. Prosecutors say the suspects used card skimmers to obtain EBT account information, which they then re-encoded onto cloned cards to withdraw funds from ATMs, often in the pre-dawn hours before the state could disburse the benefits.

  • The arrests occurred last week.
  • Since 2023, over 52 people have been charged in San Diego for similar EBT benefits theft crimes.

The players

Razvan Balu

One of the four recently arrested suspects, accused of attempting to steal $196,650 and successfully withdrawing $159,990 from 210 victims' accounts.

Juan Trandafir

One of the four recently arrested suspects, accused of stealing $145,250 and attempting to take $169,670 from 181 victims.

Hassib Baraekzay

One of the four recently arrested suspects, accused of taking over $25,000 from 43 victims.

Veronica Ochoa

One of the four recently arrested suspects, accused of withdrawing over $22,000 from 27 victims.

Adam Gordon

San Diego U.S. Attorney, who stated that the criminals "target people living one paycheck away from crisis" and that "exploiting that vulnerability is as cruel as it is criminal."

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What they’re saying

“These criminals target people living one paycheck away from crisis. Exploiting that vulnerability is as cruel as it is criminal.”

— Adam Gordon, San Diego U.S. Attorney (Times of San Diego)

What’s next

Prosecutors say the investigation into EBT benefits theft in San Diego County is ongoing, and more arrests are expected.

The takeaway

This case highlights the urgent need to strengthen protections for public assistance programs like EBT, which provide a critical safety net for low-income families. The scale of the theft, with over $4 million stolen from hundreds of victims, underscores the vulnerability of these benefits and the importance of implementing robust security measures to prevent such exploitation.