2 people sentenced in $20K Charlottetown diamond heist

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 monthsand Natalia Feldman, 45, was sentencedto 22 months after both pleaded guilty to theft charges.

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Robberies inFredericton, Port Hawkesbury, N.S., Sydney, N.S.,Antigonish, N.S., and Charlottetown were all part of the conviction.

Provincial court Judge Julian Dicksonsaid the sophistication and planning of the crimes and the factboth people played significant roles were aggravating factors in sentencing.

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

Feldman's lawyers argued their client was less responsiblethan Zaharov because he had control over her but the judge disagreed.

"I cannot accept her guilt or culpability is any less," Dicksonsaid.

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.

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