A recent operation by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has led to the arrest of a suspect involved in a multi-county theft ring. Francesca Iancu, identified during a traffic stop for a malfunctioning taillight last Friday, was taken into custody in connection with a series of fraudulent EBT card transactions, specifically targeting baby formula.
The incident unfolded near Hearn Avenue and Corby Avenue in Santa Rosa. After being pulled over, Iancu presented a Romanian passport featuring a fictitious name and birthdate to the deputy. Subsequent investigations revealed that her two felony warrants from San Joaquin and Placer County had been unveiled for retail theft-related charges. Officers discovered signs of organized retail theft inside her vehicle: multiple EBT cards suspected of being fake and hefty quantities of baby formula.
In a Facebook post, the Sonoma Sheriff detailed the booking of Iancu on several charges, including possessing deceptive government identification, providing a false identity to law enforcement, identity theft, organized retail theft, and burglary. Iancu faces serious allegations pointing to a calculated scheme to defraud retailers and systemizing public assistance programs.
Later, at Iancu's residence on Redwood Drive in Vallejo, detectives found more evidence supporting the organized criminal activity. Alongside additional baby formula, the accumulation of suspected stolen alcohol was discovered at her address.
