Toronto police arrest 5, lay nearly 100 charges in elderly distraction thefts
Posted January 6, 2025 1:14 pm.
Last Updated January 6, 2025 1:27 pm.
Toronto police have arrested five people and laid nearly 100 charges after an investigation into distraction thefts targetting elderly people.
Investigators say the suspects attended banks and retail stores between Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, and Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, for the purpose of ripping off unwitting victims.
“The suspects specifically targeted elderly victims using various techniques to obtain PINs and steal wallets and bank cards,” a police release states.
Once armed with the PINs and bank cards, investigators allege the suspects would attend banks and withdraw funds used to purchase pre-paid credit cards.
Investigators say the suspects would then use the fraudulently obtained pre-paid credit cards to buy high-end luxury items and electronics.
The probe culminated with a raid, and the following items were seized.
• eight iPhone 15 Pro Max
• 50 smartwatches
• 56 bottles of designer perfume
• 21 Fraudulent Pre-Paid Vanilla Credit Cards totalling $10,500
• $23,000 in Canadian Currency
• lock-picking tools
• 32 OLG Pro-Line tickets
• two foil-lined booster bags
• multiple fraudulent passports
• four fraudulently obtained vehicles were identified as shipped overseas, totalling approximately $250,000
On Nov. 12, 2024, police charged five individuals, two men and three women.
Constantin Florian, 39, of Montreal, Virgil Barbu, 44, of Laval, Quebec, Aura-Floria Florian, 40, of no fixed address, Dumitrita Pauniou, 49, of Milton and Eugen Catruna, 52, of no fixed address, face a total of 96 charges.
Two male suspects remain outstanding.
They’ve been identified as Vasile-Virgil Rata, 46, and Eugen Catruna, 52, both of no fixed address.
