A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of trying to sell a fake gold Rolex watch in the Home Depot parking lot in Durango.
In addition to trying to sell the watch under false pretenses, Samir-Bogdan Gusita is suspected of committing a series of similar scams outside Walmart and Home Depot since June 30, according to the Durango Police Department and court records.
The most recent incident occurred Sept. 30. Two additional complaints were filed with police on Sept. 4 and 26 about a person attempting to sell counterfeit jewelry outside the two stores.
According to an arrest affidavit, a Home Depot manager was sitting in his vehicle about 6 p.m. Sept. 30 when he was approached by a man in a black SUV, later identified as Gusita.
Gusita initially told the manager that he needed money for gas, but the manager responded that he couldn’t assist. Gusita then offered to sell him a gold watch.
According to the affidavit, the manager informed the Durango Police Department that Gusita became “aggressive” after he declined to buy the watch. Gusita eventually drove away, and the manager contacted the police, aware that DPD had been investigating suspicious activity in the area.
While on the phone with police, the manager saw Gusita return to the parking lot and engage with another customer.
As two police officers arrived, Gusita sped away from the parking lot, according to the affidavit.
One of the officers conducted a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Camino del Rio. When asked for identification, Gusita provided his name and presented officers with a Romanian driver’s license and passport.
Gusita was driving a 2023 black Nissan Rogue, which was registered to Hertz Vehicles in San Francisco.
When officers first spoke with Gusita, he claimed he had just arrived in Durango after traveling from Grand Junction. However, during a later conversation with officers, he changed his story, saying he had come from California.
An officer informed Gusita that the DPD had received three or four reports about someone selling fake jewelry in the parking lot. He then asked for permission to search Gusita's vehicle. Initially, Gusita claimed he had nothing, but later revised his statement, admitting he had a watch, a necklace and a ring.
While searching the vehicle,a DPD detective found two fake Rolex watches, three large fake gold men’s rings, four gold chains and two smaller fake ladies rings.
DPD Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop told The Durango Herald on Monday that it is not uncommon to encounter people attempting to scam shoppers in parking lots around Durango.
“But I don't know when the last time (was) we were able to actually catch somebody for running a thing like this,” he said.
Often, scammers will not stay in one location for an extended period of time.
Gusita was also allegedly wearing two other fake gold chains and a counterfeit Rolex watch, which officers believe was the one he attempted to sell to the store manager.
Gusita allegedly admitted that he purchased the jewelry from Temu, an online Chinese import business and paid only $5 to $7 for each piece.
Gusita apparently had at least one local victim who paid $200 for a piece of jewelry on Sept. 26, but law enforcement has so far been unable to confirm whether Gusita was the seller.
While investigating the case, police learned that Gusita may have entered the United States illegally in April. No further information was immediately available about how Gusita entered the country.
While searching Gusita’s vehicle, several pieces of mail and receipts were found that indicate he has previously lived in Amarillo, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A detective also found applications for various bank accounts in each of those states. There was also a rental agreement for the black Nissan rogue originating out of the Tulsa International Airport on Aug. 17 with a return date of Aug. 27.
Gusita was arrested Sept. 30 on suspicion of criminal simulation, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and was booked into the La Plata County Jail on Oct 1.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
