The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is calling on the public to help locate two suspects who fled before facing trial for their involvement in a massive church theft operation.
Marius “Viorel” Dumitru, 37, and Marius Dumitru, 30, were arrested in 2021 as part of Operation Thou Shall Not Steal, an FDLE investigation that uncovered a scheme to steal over $761,000 from more than 680 churches nationwide. The suspects face charges including conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft, unlawful possession of personal identification, and money laundering.
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Following their arrest, the Dumitrus were released by the court but failed to appear for trial, prompting the FDLE to issue a public appeal for information on their whereabouts. The pair was last known to be in the Orlando area before absconding.
Four of their co-conspirators – Catalin Trandafir, 48, Simona Trandafir, 43, Panait Dumitru, 35, and Ionut Raducan, 36 – have recently been convicted for their roles in the scheme.
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Operation Thou Shall Not Steal, initiated by the FDLE in 2021, targeted a group of individuals who allegedly targeted churches nationwide, stealing checks from mailboxes and depositing them into fraudulent accounts. The operation resulted in the arrest of six suspects, including the Dumitrus.
The FDLE urges anyone with information on Marius “Viorel” Dumitru and Marius Dumitru’s whereabouts to contact the FDLE Fort Myers Regional Operations Center at (239) 278-7170.
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