Romanian EBT theft suspect pleads no contest to all charges
The open plea was made over the objection of prosecutor Anthony Yim, who said defendant Alberto-Ionel Baran faced up to 10 years and eight months in prison if convicted at trial.
Baran deserves more than two years in custody after he 'massively disrupted the lives' of more than 175 people who couldn't withdraw the benefits they needed, Yim said.
In response, defense attorney Victor Nasser noted there are two other defendants charged in the case and the amount the prosecution says was stolen can't be attributed solely to Baran.
Judge Gloria Cannon said she took into account Baran's lack of a prior criminal record and his youth — he's 24 — in making her decision. She said she's aware many people were impacted.
Sentencing is set for June 3.
In November 2024, Baran and two other Romanians — Fernando Stantu and Mari-Mar Milica — were arrested after being found with 48 cloned EBT cards and more than $15,000 in stolen cash, according to prosecutors.
A total of seven Romanian nationals have been identified in Kern County for EBT fraud. Click here for more on 17 News' investigation into this widespread fraud that's affecting thousands of people countywide.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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