Two men attempting to obtain personal banking information from anyone using the Chase Bank ATM at 275 Halstead Ave. were caught in the act of retrieving their device and arrested Sunday, police say.
The pair had worked together to place a skimming device in the ATM that records personal card information as well as a pinhole camera that captured pin numbers entered into the ATM, according to police.
Timur Mustafa, 33, and Marian Caraivan, 41, were arrested at about 7:20 p.m. Sunday after police say they were caught retrieving the devices that had been placed there at an earlier date. Police had been tipped off the previous day by Chase Bank Security, which had found the device already attached to the machine.
Two men fitting the description of Mustafa and Caraivan had attached a similar device to an ATM in Stamford, CT., Chase officials told police.
Police were monitoring the bank when Mustafa and Caraivan exited a Metro North train and walked to the bank. Police say one of the suspects entered the bank to retrieve the device while the other stood watch. Both men were arrested while trying to leave the scene.
Mustafa and Caraivan are both Romanian nationals who police believe were involved with a larger crime syndicate that operates across the United States. Police have notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement who will also be performing an investigation.
Both men are charged with one count of third-degree burglary as well as two counts of criminal possession of a forgery device, all felonies. They were remanded to Westchester County Jail and are due in Harrison Court on Tuesday.
Editor's Note: Police have clarified that the alleged incident took place at the Chase branch at 275 Halstead Avenue, not 402 Halstead Avenue as originally stated. The change has been made to the article.
