2 jewel thieves sentenced in Fredericton for spree of Maritime heists

Two jewel thieves who stole diamonds worth $70,000 from a Fredericton store last fall were sentenced Tuesday for that heist and a spate of othersin the Maritimes.

Grigori Zaharov, 71, was sentenced to 34 months in prison, and Natalia Feldman, 45, was sentenced to 22 months in jail for thefts from five stores, including Spicer Cole Fine Jewellers in Fredericton, where the couple pocketed three diamondsin October2016.

In sentencing the pair from the suburban Toronto area,provincial court Judge Julian Dickson said there were several aggravating factors.

The thefts were sophisticated and planned, and Zaharov and Feldmaneach played significant roles, Dickson said.

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"It's clear this was a well-planned ... operation," he said.

Zaharovand Feldmanalso stole from jewelry stores in the Nova Scotia communities of PortHawkesbury, Sydney andAntigonish as well as in Charlottetown.

They both pleaded guilty to the theft charges.

Feldman's lawyers had asked for a sentence of 15 months,less time served, which would have meant about three months in jail.

They argued she was not as responsible for the crimes as Zaharovwas, because he had control over her.

Dickson didn't not agree.

"I cannot accept her guilt or culpability is any less," the judge said.

Zaharov is already serving time for a theft from aSaint John store last fall, when he and Feldman stole a diamondworth $10,000.

Zaharov was sentenced to a year jail for the Saint John theft, but Feldman was given a suspended sentence.