Toronto-area duo nabbed in switch of diamond for fake, police probe wider spree
SAINT JOHN, N.B. — Jewellers across the country are being warned to check their stock for fake diamonds after a Toronto-area couple were charged in a daring diamond switch that could be connected to a string of similar heists nationwide.
Police in Saint John, N.B., said Grigori Zaharov, 70, and Natalia Feldman, 44, of Vaughan, Ont., were arrested overnight Thursday outside a condo tower in Vaughan.
The pair was sought in an Oct. 7 theft at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers in Saint John. Store owner Wayne Smith said the thieves presented themselves as a couple arguing over how many carats to buy, and then switched a $10,000 diamond with a fake while the salesperson was distracted.
The Saint John force said the couple “are suspects in numerous other jurisdictions for similar incidents,” and multiple police agencies are working “to determine the entirety of their actions.”