The public’s assistance is being sought by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in locating two suspects who absconded before facing trial for their participation in a large-scale church theft scheme.
As part of Operation Thou Shall Not Steal, an FDLE investigation that aimed to uncover a scheme to embezzle funds from churches across the United States, Marius “Viorel” Dumitru, 37, and Marius Dumitru, 30, were taken into custody in 2021. Over 680 churches were affected, and the duo is facing several charges, such as conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft, money laundering, and unlawful possession of personal identification. The amount stolen is estimated to be over $761,000.
A Maryland man was extorted for $4 million by a self-proclaimed psychic from New York and California. The psychic persuaded the man that his wife and children were in danger and that he needed to pay for protection. The psychic threatened the man with physical harm if he did not comply with the demands. The victim eventually reported the incident to the authorities, leading to the arrest and conviction of the psychic. This serves as a cautionary tale for individuals to be wary of scams and to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
After being detained, the Dumitrus were set free by the court, but they neglected to show up for their trial. Consequently, the FDLE made a public plea for help in locating them. The couple was last seen in the Orlando region before fleeing.
Recently, the roles of four co-conspirators, namely Catalin Trandafir (48), Simona Trandafir (43), Panait Dumitru (35), and Ionut Raducan (36), have been proven in the scheme. They have been convicted for their involvement in the illegal activity.
The leaders of a meth ring in Texas and Arkansas have received a combined sentence of 400 months in prison. This news was reported in an article titled “Texas and Arkansas Meth Ring Leaders Sentenced To Combined 400 Months In Prison.”
In 2021, the FDLE launched Operation Thou Shall Not Steal, which aimed to capture a group of individuals that had been targeting churches all over the country. The scheme involved pilfering checks from mailboxes and subsequently depositing them into fake accounts. As a result of the operation, six suspects were apprehended, including the Dumitrus.