Report: Man swipes merchandise worth more than $2K

PERKINS TWP. — A Cleveland man landed in jail on Thursday after purportedly shoplifting more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a Milan Road business. Raimondo T. Munteanu, 36, faces one charge each of felony theft and misdemeanor driving under suspension. At approximately 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, officers were dispatched to a business in the 4200 block of Milan Road (U.S. 250), for a report of a man who allegedly stole items and left the store. When officers arrived in the area, they located Munteanu, who matched the store employee's description, at a nearby store and detained him, according to a Perkins police report. At the first business, an employee showed an officer surveillance video. During a 15-minute time period, Munteanu is seen taking and concealing on his person gaming products, phone products and packs of trading cards, the report states. The business employee wanted to pursue charges and wanted Munteanu banned. Munteanu's license is reportedly under suspension through a Vermilion Municipal Court case. As such, officers determined his car would be towed. When they inventoried the vehicle, they reportedly found a large amount of merchandise matching descriptions of what was seen stolen on video. The items were returned to the store and scanned. The amount of the stolen merchandise was $2,167, the report states. After officers arrested Munteanu and advised him of his Miranda rights, he allegedly admitted to the theft and directed officers to the store's merchandise in his vehicle, according to the report. Munteanu purportedly told officers he buys and sells items through an application and was in need of extra money. Due to the value of the allegedly stolen items being more than $1,000, the theft charge was elevated from a misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony. He had an arrangement scheduled in Sandusky Municipal Court on Friday morning. A plea is not recorded in the court documents, though it appears Munteanu was released after posting a $947 bond.