Two men have been charged with using a “distraction scheme” to steal $50,000 from a 79-year-old woman in Huntington Beach and $5,000 from an elderly man in Lake Forest, according to court records obtained on Friday.
At their arraignment on Thursday, Stefan Romero Oprea and Ionut Marius Andrei, both 40 and 42 respectively, pleaded not guilty to various felony charges, including burglary, grand theft, and theft from an elder adult. Their next court appearance is scheduled for October 9th at the West Justice Center in Westminster.
In the incident involving the 79-year-old woman, she withdrew $50,000 from a bank in Huntington Beach and placed the money in an envelope. As she returned home, a suspect approached her, asking for directions to a local hospital. While she was distracted, the other suspect seized the opportunity to steal the envelope containing the cash.
Law enforcement officials have linked the defendants to another theft from a 72-year-old man in Lake Forest on August 16th. In that case, the victim had withdrawn $5,000 from a bank. Similarly, a suspect asked for directions to a hospital and while the victim was momentarily distracted, the money disappeared from his car.
This specific type of crime is referred to as “bank jugging” and involves criminals targeting individuals who have just withdrawn cash from banks or check cashing stores. The criminals follow the victims and distract them for long enough to snatch their money.
Investigators advise the public to be aware of their surroundings and avoid distractions, such as being on their cell phones, when dealing with large sums of cash. If anyone suspects they are being followed, they should immediately call 911.
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