BROWN COUNTY (NBC 26) -- The Brown County Sheriff's Office is searching for three people who are suspected of being a part of an organized crime group.
The Sheriff's Office said Mircea Rostas, Vasile Paul (a.k.a Vasile Rostas), and an unidentified juvenile engaged in a so-called "Quick-Change Scam" at a local retail store in Brown County.
A "Quick-Change" scam is a theft based on distraction, the Sheriff's Office said. The suspected thief will use sleight-of-hand techniques to palm large amounts of cash or jewelry while engaging in a transaction with cashiers. The Sheriff's Office said these suspects will use a combination of charm, intimidation and misdirection.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the con artists who commit these types of theft travel hundreds of miles in a day to commit thefts, and are active at all times of the year. If a retail store is open, the Sheriff's Offices said the suspects are committing thefts.
The Sheriff's Office said the suspects investigators are looking for are believed to be a part of the ROSTAS Organized Crime Group, a traveling Romanian criminal organization. According to the Sheriff's Office, the crime family has more than 500 members who frequently commit thefts at Walmart, Sam's Club and other retail stores.
If anyone has information concerning this case, call the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 920-448-4230. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward by contacting Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers by phone at 920-432-7867, through their website at 432stop.com, or by downloading the P3 tip app through Google Play or the App Store.
