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About 75 people gather at Area 51 gate, 2 people detained

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A member of a Romanian organized crime syndicate who admitted to cheating cashiers at area grocery stores was deemed a &#8220;career criminal&#8221; by a Luzerne County judge on Friday.</p><p>Lazar Sava, 33, wept with his shackled hands to his face as Judge Michael T. Vough sentenced him to 3 years, 6 months to 11 years in state prison on multiple theft-related offenses.</p><p>Sava was arrested in Montgomery County, Md., in April on numerous arrest warrants by state police and police in Dallas Township, Edwardsville, Kingston, West Pittston and Wyoming.</p><p>Authorities accused Sava of entering grocery stores and food markets requesting change and tricking cashiers by hiding money under his hands or fingers. The theft is commonly referred to as a &#8220;quick change scam&#8221; that involves confusing and tricking cashiers in the process of exchanging currency.</p><p>Court records say Sava is from Romania and part of a Romanian organized crime group responsible for similar offenses across this country and in Canada.</p><p>A state police corporal, who worked in the criminal investigation&#8217;s unit, testified to Sava&#8217;s illegal entry into the United States including three members of his crime group. He said Sava and his posse committed multiple thefts across several states, including at least 175 thefts at Walmarts in the Midwest.</p><p>Sava and three other Romanians were arrested in July 2017 when they stole jewelry from a jewelry store in Toronto by confusing and distracting the jewelry clerk, according to court records and online news reports.</p><p>Sava skipped bond in Canada, returned to Romania, and reentered the United States, where he committed the quick change scams in multiple states, the state police corporal said.</p><p>Despite Sava&#8217;s friends satisfying more than $2,000 in restitution owed to grocery stores in the region, Vough accepted a request by Assistant District Attorney Brian Coleman to impose consecutive sentences on each of the different offenses.</p><p>&#8220;Why are you not in Romania? You were living up and down the East Coast committing these crimes,&#8221; Vough asked. &#8220;You are a career criminal. You took advantage of these individuals simply doing their job.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry,&#8221; Sava said in response.</p><p>&#8220;I know you&#8217;re sorry. You&#8217;re sorry because you got caught,&#8221; Vough said.</p><p>Here is a list of several stores Sava targeted and restitution owed:</p><p><strong>March 12,</strong> Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket, Wyoming, $200.</p><p><strong>March 11,</strong> Price Chopper, Wyoming, $100.</p><p><strong>March 11,</strong> Aldi Grocery Store, Kingston, $200.</p><p><strong>March 11,</strong> Thomas&#8217; Family Market, Dallas Township, $260.</p><p><strong>March 11, </strong>Price Chopper, Edwardsville, $200.</p><p><strong>March 11,</strong> Gerrity&#8217;s Supermarket, West Pittston, $200.</p><p><strong>Unknown date,</strong> Giant Grocery Store, Monroe County, $299.</p><p><strong>Unknown date,</strong> Weis Market, Lycoming County, $200.</p><p><strong>Unknown date,</strong> Weis Market, Lycoming County, $360.</p><p><strong>Unknown date,</strong> Giant Grocery Store, Dauphin County, $160.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Lazar-Sava-04262019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Sava </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Lazar-Sava-04262019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Sava </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Lazar-Sava-09192019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lazar Sava is escorted from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Lazar-Sava-09192019.jpg</photo1><caption1>Lazar Sava is escorted from the Luzerne County Courthouse on Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Ed Lewis | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Romanian sentenced for quick change scams