A pair from Vaughn, Ontario have both plead guilty in the brazen theft of a $10,000 diamond from a jewelry store in uptown Saint John early last month.
70-year-old Grigory Zaharov and 44-year-old Natalia Feldman, both charged with theft over $5000, appeared in provincial court for election and plea with a Russian interpreter in the courtroom to translate for them, as their first language is said to be Russian.
Though Feldman originally plead not guilty, soon after she changed her plea to match Zaharov’s.
In a twist, Natalia Feldman changes her plea to guilty #nbcourts.
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) November 17, 2016
On October 7, the man told staff at W Smith and Co. in Brunswick Square that they had come off a cruise ship, the Regatta — which was in Saint John that day — and he spoke with an American accent while the woman spoke with a German accent.
They asked to look at estate jewelry and loose diamonds as they ‘already had a setting’ and a staff member brought the diamond in question over, which was switched by Zaharov. They were also shown an approximately $25,000 diamond but the staff member confronted Zaharov about ‘palming’ it and that one was recovered.
It was hours before the store owner discovered that the other diamond had been switched. That diamond has since been recovered.
The $10K diamond taken from W Smith & Co in Brunswick Square has been recovered, court hears. Diamond has a specific identification number.
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) November 17, 2016
Both Zaharov and Feldman are scheduled to have a sentencing hearing on December 1 and the court was told that there will be a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence for Feldman.
Charlottetown police have issued arrest warrants for theft over $5000 for the two, suspected of stealing two diamonds worth an estimated $20,000.
(Surveillance photo released by the Saint John police)
