2 people sentenced in $20K Charlottetown diamond heist

Pair also sentenced for robberies in N.B. and N.S.

Image | A man and a woman Charlottetown police have identified as 'travelling thieves' on their website

Caption: Grigori Zaharov, 71, and Natalia Feldman, 45, were sentenced in a Fredericton court for a string of robberies, including one in Charlottetown. (Charlottetown Police)

Two people were sentenced to time in prison in a Fredericton court Tuesday for a string of robberies across the Maritimes, including a $20,000 diamond theft in Charlottetown.
Grigori Zaharov, 71 was sentenced to 34 months and Natalia Feldman, 45, was sentenced to 22 months after both pleaded guilty to theft charges.
Robberies in Fredericton, Port Hawkesbury, N.S., Sydney, N.S., Antigonish, N.S., and Charlottetown were all part of the conviction.
Provincial court Judge Julian Dickson said the sophistication and planning of the crimes and the fact both people played significant roles were aggravating factors in sentencing.
"It's clear this was a well-planned ... operation," he said.

Image | W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers

Caption: The pair were caught on security camera at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers in Saint John, N.B. (W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers)

Feldman's lawyers argued their client was less responsible than Zaharov because he had control over her but the judge disagreed.
"I cannot accept her guilt or culpability is any less," Dickson said.
Zaharov is already serving a one-year sentence for a Saint John robbery when the pair stole a diamond ring worth $10,000. He was sentenced to a year for the theft, while Feldman was given a suspended sentence.