Two New York residents, Mircea Lucaci and Maria Rostas, have been charged with Class C theft by deception after allegedly swapping a stack of apparent $100 bills for mostly $1 bills to take an $8,000 gold artwork from Ingram Fine Arts in Wiscasset, Maine. Surveillance footage and multi-jurisdictional cooperation helped identify the suspects, who reportedly have outstanding warrants in several states. Authorities say the pair may be tied to a Romanian theft ring; anyone with information is asked to call Wiscasset Police at 207-882-8202.
Cash-Switch Scam: Two Charged After Allegedly Swapping $100s for Singles to Steal $8,000 Gold Artwork
Image Credit: Wiscasset Police Department.
Wiscasset, Maine — Two New York residents have been charged after police say they used a cash-switch trick to take a valuable gold artwork from a local gallery while appearing to pay with $100 bills.
Mircea Lucaci, 35, of Woodside, N.Y., and Maria Rostas, 49, of Flushing, N.Y., were each charged with Class C theft by deception in connection with an Aug. 9 incident at Ingram Fine Arts on Main Street, the Wiscasset Police Department said in a Sept. 10 release republished by Wiscasset Newspapers.
According to the police account, the pair asked about gold pieces and selected an artwork the release valued at $8,000. Investigators say the suspects negotiated a lower price and then counted out cash that appeared to be made up of $100 bills. When the gallery owner briefly looked away, the pair allegedly swapped that stack for a different bundle consisting mostly of $1 bills, with a single $100 bill placed on top to conceal the substitution. The owner reported the theft on Aug. 10 and provided surveillance footage to police.
Multi-Agency Investigation
Wiscasset police distributed still images from the surveillance and, with assistance from agencies in multiple states, identified the two suspects. The release credited help from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Kennebunk Police Department in Maine, the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia, and the Melbourne Police Department in Florida.
Police said both suspects had outstanding arrest warrants in several states tied to similar alleged theft offenses. The department also indicated Lucaci and Rostas may be linked to a Romanian theft ring that targets gold.
Prior Allegations Involving Lucaci
Lucaci's name appeared in earlier reporting by the Numismatic Crime Information Center (NCIC). In June 2023, NCIC said Homeland Security Investigations sought information from coin dealers after Lucaci was arrested in Lubbock, Texas, and extradited to Rockville, Maryland, where Rockville police wanted him in connection with stolen gold coins. NCIC reported it had tracked Lucaci since 2019 and that he and other Romanian nationals had been linked to alleged thefts at coin shops and coin shows across the United States.
Charges, Law, And Next Steps
Wiscasset police obtained arrest warrants charging both suspects with Class C theft by deception and requested that anyone with information contact the department at 207-882-8202. Under Maine law, theft by deception is charged when someone obtains or exercises control over another’s property through deception with intent to deprive the owner. Theft by deception involving property valued at more than $1,000 but not more than $10,000 is a Class C crime; the department’s $8,000 valuation places the alleged offense within that range.
The investigation remains ongoing, the release said.
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