BULLETIN: Feds Say Romanian Hackers Breached Computers Of Subway Sandwich Restaurants And More Than 50 Other Retailers; Credit-Card Data Of 80,000 Customers Compromised And ‘Millions Of Dollars Of Unauthorized Purchases Have Been Made’

BULLETIN: Three Romanian nationals have been arrested in the aftermath of a successful hacking bid that compromised the computer systems of Subway sandwich restaurants and 50 other retailers, the Justice Department, federal prosecutors in New Hampshire and the U.S. Secret Service said.

One Romanian national remains at large. Authorities said credit-card data from tens of thousands of customers was compromised and that “millions of dollars of unauthorized purchases have been made using the compromised data.”

Arrested were Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 27, of Constanta, Romania; Iulian Dolan, 27, of Craiova, Romania; and Cezar Iulian Butu, 26, of Ploiesti, Romania.

Florin Radu, 23, of Rimnicu Vilcea, Romania, remains at large, U.S. officials said. The scam operated “from approximately 2008 until May 2011” and involved “U.S.-based merchants’ point-of-sale . . . or ‘checkout’ computer systems.'”

Although the officials said the breach affected about 150 Subway outlets — less than 1 percent of the chain’s restaurants — the data theft from Subway and the other retailers affected more than 80,000 customers.

Subway is a well-known international franchise based in Milford, Conn. The 46-year-old company is famous for its sandwiches — and also its television commercials featuring Jared Fogle. Fogle became famous in his own right after his weight ballooned to 425 pounds as a college freshman and he became trim again after losing nearly 250 pounds by eating healthy food from Subway.

Subway is an internationally famous franchise that calls its service staff "Sandwich Artists." One of the firm's "Sandwich Artists" is Sara Manchipp, the reigning Miss Wales.

All four of the suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.

Oprea was arrested last week in Romania and is detained there, prosecutors said.

“Dolan and Butu were arrested upon their entry into the United States on Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2011,” prosecutors said.

Details on why Dolan and Butu were arrested upon entry were not immediately clear. The hacking was performed “remotely,” officials said.