Romanian organized crime group suspected of stealing cellphones in Georgia

HALL COUNTY, Ga. - The Oakwood Police Department has uncovered a series of attempted cellphone thefts linked to an organized crime group operating across the state of Georgia and potentially beyond. 

At approximately 1 p.m. On March 15, officers responded to a 911 call reporting an attempted theft at the AT&T store located on Mundy Mill Road in Oakwood, which is located just north of Flowery Branch in Hall County. 

According to reports, a male and female duo were attempting to steal cellphones when employees recognized them from an internal AT&T Corporate BOLO (Be On the LookOut) alert. The couple were identified as recurring offenders, known for their use of special keys to unlock cellphones from display tables. Unfortunately, the man and woman were able to escape before the police arrived. 

"The females usually come in and distract the employees, talk to them while the male is at the table unlocking the phones," Oakwood Police Sgt. Stewart Webb told FOX 5. "They’re organized, and they work as a team." 

Sgt. Webb issued an alert to surrounding agencies and found out that the male suspect was also wanted in connection to a similar theft at an AT&T store in the City of Duluth. 

Further investigation by Officer Henderson revealed crucial evidence, including security camera footage identifying the suspects' vehicle and eventually leading to the identification of the female suspect as Maria Antonescu, a Romanian immigrant. Working in collaboration with the Duluth Police Department, Detective S. Davis positively identified the male suspect as Marius Vasile.

"I used FLOCK to search that tag and was able to come up with a vehicle that was involved," Officer Joseph Henderson stated. 

Marius Vasile

"This is a Romanian family…when we executed the search warrant yesterday, we found about 10 adults…identified several more males and females we believe may be connected to the ring overall," said Sgt. Webb.

In a coordinated effort between Oakwood PD and Jefferson Police Department, a search warrant was executed at the suspects' residence in Gwinnett County on March 25. While Vasile was taken into custody, Antonescu remains at large. However, the search yielded significant findings, including the recovery of various keys used in cellphone thefts and the identification of several individuals potentially linked to a Romanian organized crime group.

"We found specialized keys used to unlock these devices," Henderson recalled. 

Vasile was charged with criminal attempt to commit a felony, theft by shoplifting, conspiracy to commit a felony and possession of tools for the commission of a crime. He was booked into the Hall County Jail without bond. 

Oakwood police said they’re now working with the feds as they believe the theft ring stretches beyond state lines. 

Detective Sgt. Webb urges any agencies with related incidents to contact him directly at at 770-534-2364 or by email at swebb@oakwoodpd.net.