Stanley P. Brozana Jr., 72 – Served 37 Years as Orwigsburg Police Chief
A suspect has been identified by police in a string of grab-and-dash robberies that occurred over a tri-state area, including here in Schuylkill County back in 2023.
Police say Ion Velcu, 29, of Franklin, Tennessee, was one of three people who stole more than $65,000 in merchandise from CVS and Rite Aid stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, between April 19-25, 2023.
Last week, Magisterial District Judge AJ Serina signed a warrant for Velcu’s arrest.
According to an affidavit filed by State Police-Schuylkill Haven, two CVS stores in Schuylkill County – one in North Manheim Township near Cressona Mall and another in Pottsville, along Route 61 – were among those targeted.
At 4:08 p.m. in the Cressona store, Velcu and two women enter the store. Velcu had a full, black beard and black hair and was wearing a Puma T-shirt, black gym shorts, black sunglasses, and was holding a baby. The two women accompanying him wore black sweaters, long skirts, and hijabs covering their heads.
Surveillance footage obtained from CVS management reportedly shows the two women concealing merchandise beneath their skirts while Velcu walked around the store, appearing to serve as a lookout. Velcu, while holding the baby, also appeared to be concealing merchandise beneath the baby, police say.
Within nine minutes, all three left the store, fleeing in a black minivan. Management at the Cressona CVS say the trio got away with about $3,000 in merchandise. An inventory assessment revealed that most of the missing merchandise was Olay and L’oreal cosmetics along with over-the-counter Nexium heartburn medication.
Later that day, on April 20, the trio reportedly also hit the CVS store in Pottsville. At about 4:40 p.m., video from the Pottsville store showed a similar scene as the one that unfolded in Cressona a half-hour prior. Nearly $2,500 in merchandise was reported stolen. And in that instance, the same merchandise was taken: Olay and L’oreal beauty products as well as Nexium. This was all done in the span of about seven minutes at the Pottsville store.
Police then learned that on the same day, just shy of 7:30 p.m., the trio reportedly hit the CVS store in Shickshinny, Luzerne County, where they walked out with about $1,900 in merchandise.
As the investigation unfolded, police eventually learned that Velcu and his two accomplices were suspected in a total of 22 retail theft incidents between April 19-25, 2023. The string of robberies is believed to have started in York County, PA, and ended in Cortland County, NY. A total of 17 stores were hit in Pennsylvania, all of which were CVS locations. Two CVS stores in northern New Jersey were also targeted, and three Rite Aid locations in upstate New York are also on the list.
On April 27, a positive identification of Velcu was made by Elmira (NY) Police Dept., as they investigated a Rite Aid robbery there three days prior. Photos obtained from a botched robbery at a CVS in Stroudsburg were run through facial recognition, police say, and Velcu was identified.
In May of 2023, State Police-Schuylkill Haven contacted Lower Allen Township (Cumberland County) Police Dept. in regard to similar incidents that occurred in their area. They said they’d arrested Velcu along with a Catalin Velcu, Alin Velcu, and Madalin Iordache Ciuciu in a credit card skimmer scheme. Photos from that investigation were able to positively match Ion Velcu with the string of pharmacy store robberies. That case is currently listed as Inactive on court records.
In regard to the Schuylkill County incidents, Ion Velcu is facing two felony counts of retail theft and two felony counts of organized retail theft.
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