A Romanian citizen illegally living in the United States has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a wire fraud scheme. Viorel Cristea, 33, was sentenced to 21 months for a scheme that sold fake farming equipment . U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Cristea to pay $679,100 in restitution and to be deported upon the completion of his prison term. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks ] The investigation into the fraudulent operation began in May 2025 after a victim contacted the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office regarding suspicious activity from a dealer purportedly located in Blackshear, Ga. Investigators determined the company was a front used to defraud more than a dozen purchasers, resulting in total losses exceeding $600,000. A federal indictment returned in August 2025 alleged the fraudulent operation took place between March 2025 and May 2025. During that time, Cristea and his co-conspirators used false representations to convince victims to wire large sums of money for used farm equipment. Many of the targeted victims were older adults. Additionally, victims were told their purchased machinery would arrive within weeks. Ho
