A parking-lot gold deal that cost a man $15,800 has ended with probation for two men accused in the suburban Chicago scam.
Florin Ghiocel and Alexandru Trandafir pleaded guilty in negotiated agreements after prosecutors said the victim bought jewelry he was told was worth $16,000, only to learn later that it was not gold at all, according to Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
The first conversation was not at a jewelry store, a pawn shop, or anywhere that would make much sense for a five-figure gold purchase. It started with a stranger in a Costco parking lot saying he needed money to reach the airport.
From there, the story moved to a grocery store lot, a second offer, a police surveillance operation, and a rented SUV that prosecutors said hit an undercover vehicle when officers moved in.
The Probation Sentences Came After Guilty Pleas
Ghiocel, 21, of Spring Hill, Florida, pleaded guilty to theft by deception involving more than $10,000, a Class 2 felony. He was sentenced to 30 months of probation and 150 hours of public service.
Trandafir, 20, of Waukegan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft by deception involving more than $10,000, a Class 3 felony. He received 24 months of probation and the same 150-hour public-service requirement.
Both men also received 180-day jail sentences that were considered served through day-for-day credit and 112 days already spent in custody. The court ordered them not to contact the victim and barred them from consuming alcohol or drugs while under supervision.
The Airport Story Started in a Costco Parking Lot
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said Ghiocel approached the victim March 9 in the parking lot of a Costco in Mettawa, Illinois. He asked for money to get to the airport, and the victim helped him with cash and gasoline.
The conversation then shifted to jewelry. The two exchanged contact information, and the next day they met again in the parking lot of Sunset Foods in Lake Forest. Prosecutors said Ghiocel offered jewelry he claimed was worth $16,000 and knocked $200 off the price for a cash deal.
The victim paid $15,800. Afterward, he had the jewelry evaluated and learned it was fake. Police later took the pieces to a Highland Park jewelry store, where a jeweler confirmed they were not gold and had no meaningful value.
A Second Offer Brought Police Back to Costco
The deal could have ended there with the victim out the money. Instead, another message arrived on March 11 from a different phone number, prosecutors said. Investigators later tied that phone to Trandafir.
This time, the offer was another batch of supposed gold jewelry for $10,000. Police coordinated with the victim and watched the Costco parking lot where the exchange was supposed to happen.
Officers saw a gray Hyundai Santa Fe with Texas registration circling the lot for about 15 minutes and repeatedly passing the victim’s vehicle. The SUV was later determined to be a rental. The victim recognized Ghiocel as the driver, the same person who had sold him the fake jewelry the day before.
Prosecutors Said the SUV Hit an Undercover Vehicle
When officers approached, prosecutors said Ghiocel tried to flee and struck an undercover police vehicle. Ghiocel, Trandafir, and two young juveniles were inside the SUV, and officers found a satchel containing more jewelry.
Trandafir was holding the phone used to text the victim about the second sale, Cannon said. Ghiocel made no admissions, but prosecutors said Trandafir told officers he knew the jewelry was not real gold, that it came from China, and that the two needed to make money.
Prosecutors also said the men and other Romanian nationals had been staying at an Airbnb in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. A California investigator contacted police because Ghiocel and Trandafir were suspects in similar offenses there, according to the Lake County courtroom account.
Parking-Lot Gold Should Make a Buyer Stop
A real $16,000 jewelry deal usually does not need a grocery store parking lot, an airport story, or a stranger offering a cash discount after asking for gas money. That is the part buyers can recognize before the appraisal comes back bad.
Fake-gold scams often start with a small favor. Someone says they are stranded, short on gas, trying to reach the airport, or dealing with an emergency. Then the “gold” appears as a bargain, collateral, or thank-you that just happens to require cash right away.
Anyone approached with that kind of offer should walk away before money changes hands. A person with real gold worth thousands of dollars can go to a licensed jeweler, pawn shop, or precious-metals buyer. A stranger asking for cash in a parking lot is asking the buyer to take all the risk.
If money has already been paid, the buyer should keep the jewelry, messages, phone numbers, receipts, ATM withdrawal records, photos, vehicle description, license plate, and the exact location of the exchange. A written evaluation from a jeweler can help police document that the pieces were not genuine gold.