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    Office of State Inspector General, the Northumberland County District Attorney’s Office and the Milton Borough Police Department Announce Arrests in EBT Card Skimming Operation

    Two Charged with Installing Covert Skimming Device at Milton Convenience Store. 

    March 20, 2026

    Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Office of State Inspector General, the Northumberland County District Attorney’s Office, and the Milton Borough Police Department announced that two individuals have been charged in connection with a sophisticated card skimming operation; Patricia Bogdan, operating under numerous aliases, and George Lazar.   This criminal scheme involved the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) accounts of numerous Pennsylvania residents. The charges stem from a covert skimming device installed at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Milton, Northumberland County, in February 2026. 

    These arrests represent the latest actions the Shapiro Administration has taken to fight public assistance fraud, root out waste, fraud and abuse, and ensure taxpayer money is used for its intended purpose across the Commonwealth. 

    Patricia Bogdan – also known as Livia Roberta Bogdan, Arianna Salvadore, and several other aliases, and George Lazar are charged with multiple felony counts related to the possession and use of an unlawful device designed to steal encoded payment card information, as well as related conspiracy charges. The skimming device, an exact replica of the store's legitimate payment terminal, was covertly attached to a point-of-sale terminal at the Milton 7-Eleven on or about February 7, 2026, and remained in place for multiple days before being discovered by store employees. Stolen account information was subsequently used to make fraudulent purchases at BJ's Wholesale and Sam's Club locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

    "EBT benefits are not abstract dollars. They are groceries, meals, and security for working families who depend on them," said State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry. "These defendants deliberately targeted some of our most vulnerable residents, by operating a sophisticated scheme across multiple states. I am proud of the law enforcement collaboration on this case, and I want every Pennsylvanian to know: the Office of State Inspector General will pursue this kind of fraud relentlessly, wherever it leads."

    Investigators have charged Bogdan and Lazar with using a Bluetooth-enabled device to extract stolen card data remotely from the skimmer. Of the identified victims, all were confirmed through fraudulent transactions on their EBT accounts. Many victims of SNAP theft through EBT card skimming are left without the means to purchase food for the remainder of the month.

    These charges are the result of a joint investigation led by the Milton Borough Police Department, the Northumberland County District Attorney's Office, and the OSIG.  The investigation drew upon collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners as well as the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey, and North Carolina.

    "The people of Northumberland County deserve to know that when someone targets them, whether with a weapon or a skimming device, this office will work to hold them accountable," said Northumberland County District Attorney Mike O'Donnell. "This case required real cooperation across agencies, county, and state lines, and I am grateful to every partner who contributed to this result."

    "Our officers recognized what they were looking at and immediately worked with our state and federal partners," said Milton Borough Police Chief Curt Zettlemoyer. "What followed was a methodical, multi-agency investigation that crossed county and state lines. This is what community protection looks like: local, state, and federal law enforcement working side by side."

    Both Bogdan and Lazar were arrested in New Jersey on March 19, 2026. 

    OSIG urges all EBT cardholders to take steps to protect their benefits. Recipients can lock their EBT card when not in use through the free ConnectEBT mobile app or at ConnectEBT.com, change their PIN regularly, particularly before their monthly payment date, and report any suspicious account activity to their County Assistance Office. Suspected EBT skimming can be reported to OSIG's fraud tipline at 1-800-932-0582. Additional guidance on recognizing and reporting skimming devices is available at OSIG.pa.gov/skimming. 

    Criminal charges are accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

     

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