Two men believed to have ties to Romanian organized crime rings were arrested after robbing nearly a dozen people in Orange County – and law enforcement believe there may be several other victims.
Romanian nationals Laurentiu Baceanu and Alexandru Vasile are accused of posing as federal immigration agents by using phony threats of deportation to intimidate their victims into paying them. They were arrested Thursday in Fullerton, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The suspects were arrested on suspicion of hate crimes for particularly targeting Hispanic victims across the OC. According to the DA, the pair wore fake enforcement badges while speaking to their victims and threatened them with deportation if they didn’t surrender their debit cards and money.
The DA’s office said a report from Anaheim police recorded that one of the men said he “targeted Hispanic males because they have cash, they are not smart, they do not fight and they are scared due to their immigration status and would not call the police.”
Baceanu and Vasile are believed to be in the U.S. illegally, according to law enforcement.
“This is just another rouse they’re using to target people they think are not going to fight back, they’re not going to go to law enforcement,” said Kimberly Edds, Director of Public Affairs for the OC District Attorney’s Office. “These are people who need the money the most.”
They’re each facing 11 felony counts that include felony robbery, kidnapping to commit robbery and hate crime enhancements. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 29 years in prison.
In addition to Orange County, the duo are suspected of carrying out similar crimes in Santa Clara County, New York and Washington.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of similar crimes is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement or to report the crimes anonymously to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.