Nov. 27, 2024 — Redmond, Washington police arrested two men in connection with a residential burglary on NE 99th Way, later linking them to a transnational organized crime ring targeting jewelry and cash in Eastside communities.
Redmond detectives identified the suspects as 21-year-old Iustinian Iamandita and 32-year-old Florin Vaduva, charging them with residential burglary by King County prosecutors following the October 13 incident at approximately 11:00 a.m.
Homeowners remotely activated a security alarm after surveillance video showed the suspects prying open a back door, leading to a swift police response. The pair fled in a black Kia, abandoning the vehicle near NE 88th Place and Avondale Road, where a witness observed three men escape on foot.
Stolen items included jewelry valued at $8,000—three luxury men’s watches, a woman’s watch, a gold necklace, a sapphire bracelet, and other pieces—all later recovered by investigators. The homeowners confirmed retrieval of their valuables.
“The suspects in this case specifically are tied to a larger transnational organized crime ring that a lot of agencies on the Eastside have been tracking for a while,” Redmond Police Detective Sgt. Jesse Bollerud told KOMO News. “So what they’re looking [for] is for easy targets. People that they believe would have large amounts of cash, large amounts of jewelry, someone that they believe would be an easy victim.”
Police noted about a dozen home burglaries in Redmond this year, an uptick, with the ring also connected to jewelry thefts and muggings. A task force involving Eastside jurisdictions has formed to investigate related cases.
The suspects arrived five minutes after the homeowners departed, per surveillance footage. Interagency cooperation, witness reports, and video evidence facilitated the arrests. Iamandita’s court hearing, initially set for December 2, was continued to December 5 in King County Superior Court.
The investigation remains ongoing. Redmond police urge anyone with information to contact them at 425-556-2500.
