Two Romanian nationals were arrested after authorities say they worked together to steal over $15,000 from a victim at a grocery store in Lake Forest in a jewelry scam and then rammed a police car while fleeing officers.
Florin Ghiocel, 20, of Spring Hill, Florida, was charged with theft by deception over $10,000, conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $10,000, theft over $500 and conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $500.
Alexandru Trandafir, 19, of Waukegan, was charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $10,000 and conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $500.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said a victim was approached on March 9 in the Costco parking lot in Mettawa by Ghiocel, who asked for money to get to the airport.
The victim assisted Ghiocel by providing him with cash and buying him gas. They exchanged contact information after the victim became interested in buying gold jewelry from him, Cannon said.
Ghiocel and the victim agreed to meet in the parking lot of Sunset Foods in Lake Forest on March 10.
Cannon said Ghiocel offered to sell the victim $16,000 worth of gold jewelry in exchange for $15,800 in cash, providing a cash discount.
Ghiocel sold the victim the jewelry and the victim provided Ghiocel with the cash.
The victim later got the jewelry evaluated and learned that it was fake, Cannon said.
Police also later took the jewelry Ghiocel sold to the victim to a Highland Park jewelry store where they confirmed it was not gold and that it was worthless.
The victim received more messages from another phone number on March 11 that was determined to be from the phone associated with Trandafir, Cannon said.
Trandafir and the victim agreed to exchange $10,000 for more gold jewelry in a Costco parking lot. Police coordinated to surveil the exchange.
Officers saw a grey Hyundai Santa Fe with Texas registration, later determined to be a rental car, circling the Costco parking lot for approximately 15 minutes and driving past the victim’s car, Cannon said.
The victim received text messages from Trandafir during this. The victim saw the driver and confirmed that it was Ghiocel, the person who had sold him the fake gold the day prior.
Cannon said officers approached the vehicle and Ghiocel tried to flee in the rental vehicle, striking an undercover vehicle in the process.
Ghiocel, Trandafir and two young juveniles were inside the car. A satchel containing more gold jewelry was also found, Cannon said.
Cannon said Trandafir was holding the cell phone that was determined to be texting the victim for the sale on March 11.
Ghiocel made no admissions but Trandafir told officers that he knew the jewelry was not genuine gold and that it was from China and the two needed to make money, Cannon said.
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) responded due to the two juveniles being at the scene. One of the children reported that they had been in California the week prior.
Police determined that Ghiocel, Trandafir and other Romanian nationals had been staying at an Airbnb in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Cannon said.
Police were also contacted by an investigator in California regarding Ghiocel and Trandafir as they are suspects in similar offenses there.
Prosecutors argued that the two pose a willful flight risk. Ghiocel’s driver’s license is from Washington and Trandafir’s driver’s license is from Florida.
“These defendants have absolutely zero ties to the Lake County community, or to the State of Illinois. The defendants were staying in a temporary vacation property, and driving a rental vehicle, which they drove into an unmarked police vehicle in an attempt to flee from police apprehension. According to the children that were with them, they had been in the State of California just a week prior, where law enforcement are now investigating crimes where Florin and Alexandru are suspects,” Cannon said.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted petitions to detain both men in the Lake County Jail pending trial following separate detention hearings.
Trandafir and Ghiocel are scheduled to appear in court again on May 4 for a case management conference.