1 of 9 suspects in theft at White Settlement Buddhist temple arrested in Minnesota
A man suspected of stealing $38,000 from a White Settlement Buddhist temple in November 2022 has been arrested in Washington County, Minnesota, according to a news release Wednesday from White Settlement police.
The theft was reported Nov. 20, 2022, at the Wat Busayadhammvanaram Buddhist Temple at 7916 White Settlement Road, around the same time as similar crimes at three other Buddhist temples in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, police said in a news release at the time.
The suspect was identified in November 2023 as 36-year-old Narcis Chiciu, using facial recognition software, according to police. Investigators obtained a warrant to arrest Chiciu on a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, a second-degree felony. They believe he may have been working with others and said in 2023 they were hopeful they would be able to identify additional suspects once he was in custody.
He was arrested on May 22. Eight other suspects have not been identified, but investigators are hopeful they will be able to interview Chiciu and learn who the other suspects are, White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook told the Star-Telegram.
Chiciu will be fully extradited back to Tarrant County after he faces any charges that may have been filed by authorities in Minnesota, according to White Settlement police. Authorities in Minnesota did not immediately respond to a Star-Telegram request for information.
“The old saying that you can run but you can’t hide rings true in this case,” Cook said in the release. “I am thankful for our detectives’ tenacity and dedication to seeking justice in this case, which undoubtedly will also assist other law enforcement agencies in solving similar crimes.”
Investigators believe the Wat Busayadhammvanaram Buddhist Temple was targeted because the thieves knew the temple received a large amount in donations that month, police said in 2023. Two men and seven women showed up to the temple in a van investigators believe was stolen from Dallas.
The van was later found about a mile from the temple, according to police.
Investigators believe some of the suspects went inside the temple to pray in an effort to distract the monks while others broke into the temple’s living quarters.
White Settlement police worked with the FBI, Arlington police and authorities in Dallas while investigating the theft.
This story contains information from the Star-Telegram’s archives.