The theft occurred in Greenvale, at the Loucri Jewelers located on Northern Boulevard, at around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, July 17.
Nassau County Police said two men entered the store and one distracted the salesperson while the other concealed a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak custom diamond watch. The watch is valued at $275,325.
The pair then fled in a Ford SUV.
On Thursday, Aug. 1, police arrested Petru Magdas, age 49, and Petru Munteanu, age 28, both of Queens Village, Queens, at their Hollis Avenue residence.
They were taken into custody without incident on suspicion of grand larceny. Detectives recovered the stolen watch at the scene, police said.
According to investigators, both Munteanu and Magdas are in the United States illegally. Munteanu was apprehended by US Border Patrol in December 2021 and was processed as an “expedited removal.”
Magdas was previously removed twice from the country, in both 2017 and 2018.
Both men were arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Friday, Aug. 2.
Munteanu was released with no bail and did not return for an electronic GPS device, police said. Magdas was held on an outstanding warrant.
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