LIHUE, Hawaii (KITV4) – The Kauai Police Department (KPD) announced on Wednesday night through a press release that officers had arrested four men in connection with the fake jewelry scam.
The press release stated that these four men were arrested on suspicion of second-degree theft:
• Mihail Drugan, age 32 of Romania, residing in Seattle, Washington
• Daniel Calin, age 24 of Romania, residing in Seattle, Washington
• Vasile Alexandru, age 37 of Romania, residing in Baltimore, Maryland
• Nicolae Dragomir, age 29 of Romania, residing in California
Kauai police had received several reports earlier in the week of individuals approaching people in public places and at residences, trying to sell rare or antique jewelry.
The suspects were allegedly telling victims that they were visitors, and needed to sell the jewelry because they were in need of money for reasons such as they lost their wallet or their IDs were stolen. Victims later discovered the pieces they purchased were fake, and reported the fraudulent activity to police.
A tip from a witness identified the license plate of a vehicle allegedly involved in one of the reported scams. Police later located the vehicle at a Kapaa hotel, and further investigations led officers to detain four men associated with the vehicle on Tuesday.
The men were later released pending further investigation.
A member of the social media group Stolen Stuff Hawaii posted a photo of the suspects at Lihue Airport on Wednesday night leaving Kauai on a flight to Oahu.
The theft suspects at Lihue Airport on Wednesday
Courtesy: Stolen Stuff Hawaii
“In addition to these four men, preliminary investigations reveal that there may be more individuals on Kauai that are committing these crimes,” said KPD assistant chief Bryson Ponce.
Posts about the fake jewelry scam have recently dominated Stolen Stuff Hawaii. Members have posted stories about being approached by people selling the jewelry, and have been warning others so that they don't fall victim to the scam.
Police across the state have been receiving complaints about the fake jewelry scam, and the stories are similar.
"It seems they're preying upon people's good nature. They give them a sad story, they present themselves as tourists, and that they're victims of thefts themselves, they lost their passports, their bags were stolen, and they need cash or money to purchase their plane tickets back home. And sometimes people out of desperation people tend to believe them," said Hawaii Police Department officer Christopher Fukumoto.
Police on the Big Island arrested a suspect last month in connection with the fake jewelry scam. Vasile Calin, 33, of Washington was charged with first-degree theft after police say he sold jewelry to a man saying it was 18-carat gold, but the victim learned it was fake when he went to get it appraised.
Honolulu Police Department (HPD) chief Joe Logan told the Honolulu Police Commission during its meeting on July 20: "We have a fake jewelry scam that's going on. There's been 13 incidents to date, mostly reported through social media and to the police.
"Basically what people are doing is they're approaching members of the public, giving a sad story of why they're out of money and need some help but they have some jewelry to sell, so they convince some people to buy this jewelry and it's reported to be gold but it's really not, it's plated tin or some other type."
An HPD spokesperson said they have not arrested anyone for those cases, and that most of the reports they have received came from people who were approached but did not buy anything.
Police say seniors are often targets since they tend to be more trusting, and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Police are advising the public to stay vigilant of potential scams, including anyone approaching in public attempting to sell jewelry or other goods.
“We are asking the public to stay alert and to please report any similar experiences you or someone you know may have encountered. If possible, try to take note of individual characteristics of the person, along with their behavior patterns and vehicles, as it may assist law enforcement in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting suspects,” Ponce said.
Kathryn spent the last decade in the Bay Area working in nonprofits, education, and communications consulting. She has a B.A. in English from St. Mary's College of CA and an M.A. in Public Affairs and Politics from the University of San Francisco.
Marisa Yamane joined KITV4 in January 2022 as an anchor and executive producer. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, who’s spent most of her career in Hawaii. She’s a proud graduate of Iolani School and UCLA.
