Suspect in large-scale FBI theft pleads not guilty

A Romanian national identified by the FBI as a member of an organized crime group pleaded not guilty today to a theft charge following her arrest in Palm Desert, where she allegedly stole a man’s necklace.

Marcideza Dumitru pleaded not guilty Friday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one count of theft of property, according to court documents.

The suspect’s next hearing is scheduled for October 4.

On June 3, deputies with the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station were approached by a man claiming his necklace had been stolen in the 34000 block of Monterey Avenue, according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The man said a woman had asked him for directions to the highway. After she did, “as a perceived sign of her appreciation for his help, she placed a chain around his neck and, without his initially realizing it, replaced the chain with costume jewelry,” officials said.

The suspect got into a vehicle and fled.

An hour later, officers with the Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Office found the vehicle near the intersection of Alessandro Boulevard and Perris Boulevard in Moreno Valley. Dumitru was arrested on suspicion of theft, the statement said.

It was later discovered that the FBI had identified Dumitru as a member of an international criminal organization.

Dumitru was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning and held pending a $10,000 bail. She posted her bail two days later.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Detective Pfohlman at 760-836-1600.