San Jose police bust Romanian organized crime ring, 2 arrested
SAN JOSE – Police in San Jose on Friday announced the arrests of two people in connection with what officers had described as a Romanian organized crime ring.
According to officers, 35-year-old Mogos Constantin and 19-year-old Renaldo Vaduva were arrested in connection with the operation. Jail records showed that Constantin and Vaduva remained in custody Friday.
On Wednesday, multiple search warrants were served at residences in San Jose and Livermore. The warrants were associated with about 25 criminal cases tied to the group.
Police said the crimes took place between July and October and included armed carjacking, armed robbery, strongarm robbery and grand theft.
Among the items seized included $13,000 in cash, three vehicles along with evidence possibly associated with jewelry scams and robberies, Facebook Marketplace vehicle scams, credit card skimmers and money laundering.
The bust comes as San Jose police said they have seen a "large increase" in Romanian organized crime, with suspects primarily targeting elderly members of the Asian and Indian communities.
According to officers, one of the crimes involves suspects pulling up to elderly victims and asking for directions or pretending it's their birthday. After striking up a conversation, police said the suspects attempt to "thank" the victim by placing fake costume jewelry on the victim and swapping out their real jewelry or forcibly taking their jewelry.
Another scam involves suspects posing as contractors. Once allowed into a victim's home, police said the suspects use distraction to take valuables or commit other crimes.
Police urge anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact Detective Grodin of the San Jose Police Department's Robbery Unit over email or by calling 408-277-4166.