A Romanian national flagged by the FBI for involvement in an organized crime group has pleaded guilty to a theft charge after stealing a man’s necklace in Palm Desert, California. Marcideza Dumitru entered her guilty plea to one felony count of grand theft of another person’s property at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Following her plea, Dumitru was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 116 days in a work release program. Additionally, she was ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to the victim, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident occurred on June 3 when Palm Desert Sheriff’s deputies were approached by a man on Monterey Avenue who reported his necklace stolen. The man recounted that a woman asked him for directions to the freeway and, as a “token of appreciation,” placed a necklace around his neck. Unbeknownst to him, the woman replaced his necklace with costume jewelry and fled the scene.
Moreno Valley Sheriff’s deputies located Dumitru an hour later and arrested her near Alessandro Boulevard and Perris Boulevard on suspicion of grand theft. Authorities later revealed that Dumitru had been flagged by the FBI for her involvement in a transnational organized crime group.
She was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and released on bail two days after the arrest.