Thieves nabbed in $10K diamond heist get different sentences
Matthew Bingley | CBC News | Posted: December 2, 2016 9:08 PM | Last Updated: December 2, 2016
Grigori Zaharov gets year in prison, Natalia Feldman gets suspended sentence after Saint John theft
A New Brunswick judge described a diamond theft as a "professional hit" before handing down different sentences to a Toronto-area couple guilty of stealing from a Saint John jewelry store.
Grigori Zaharov, 70, and Natalia Feldman, 44, were arrested in Vaughan, Ont., on Oct. 19 after Saint John Police issued a Canada-wide warrant. The pair were captured on security cameras as they swapped a $10,000 diamond for a duplicate at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers on Oct. 7.
Justice Andrew LeMesurier, in provincial court in Saint John, gave Zaharov a year in prison on top of his time already served, while Feldman received a 12-month suspended sentence with probation. The maximum penalty for theft over $5,000 is two years in prison.
Crown prosecutor Patrick Wilbur described the couple as professional thieves working together, but the Crown and defence agreed to file a joint submission for Feldman's sentence that recommended no additional time served, due to her lack of criminal record.
LeMesurier agreed with the recommendation, which will require Feldman to keep the peace and stay away from New Brunswick jewelry stores.
There was a stark difference in the penalty for Zaharov, whom Feldman said was her estranged husband (they still lived together). Wilbur said while the couple were involved in the same crime, "one can not compare these individuals and should not."
'This is what he does'
Wilbur pointed to Zaharov's long list of prior convictions dating back to 1979, many of which involved theft.
"This is what he does," Wilbur said, suggesting an additional four months of incarceration along with the same conditions imposed on Feldman. Zaharov's lawyer, Margaret Gallagher, argued her client deserved an equal sentence to Feldman.
LeMesurier disagreed with both recommendations, adding a full year on top of Zaharov's time served.
"You have been a lifelong criminal," LeMesurier told Zaharov.
LeMesurier said despite Zaharov's advanced age and record there was nothing to suggest he had any intention of changing his ways.
Zaharov will have the same conditions of keeping the peace and staying away from New Brunswick jewelry stores on his release.
'Good on her'
During the sentencing, LeMesurier commended Rhonda Dorie, the employee at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers who first reported the theft.
"Good on her that she caught this," he said, before admonishing Zaharov for putting the employee through the ordeal.
Though the diamond in the Saint John theft was recovered, W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers owner, Wayne Smith, said it hasn't been returned yet.
The sentencing was met with disappointment at the store.
Many of the employees, including Smith, felt the couple should have been dealt with more severely.
Smith added that he hoped other alleged thefts the couple are linked to could lead to a stiffer penalty.
Zaharov and Feldman are accused of swapping out two diamonds worth an estimated $20,000 for cubic zirconia at a store in Charlottetown.