A Romanian national who crisscrossed the country pulling a cash-register con at Target stores is headed to federal prison. On Monday in St. Louis, a judge sentenced 39-year-old Bobi Covaciu to 21 months behind bars for a multi-state “sleight-of-hand” scam that prosecutors say stretched across at least 22 states and involved about 90 fraudulent purchases totaling roughly $196,220 in cash and merchandise. Prosecutors and local reporters say Covaciu will be deported after he finishes his federal time.
According to a press release from The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri, Covaciu pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2025, to one count of wire fraud. He admitted that he hit Target cash registers by appearing to hand over the exact amount in cash, then quietly palming some of the bills while the cashier finished the sale. Federal prosecutors say the scam ran from February 2022 through September 2024, involved at least 90 transactions and about $196,220 in losses, and was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The office noted that wire fraud carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and said Covaciu will be ordered to repay the losses…