Sacramento, CA – On May 9, 2024, detectives from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, arrested a 19-year-old man named Julian Lomeli, for his involvement in two smash and grab robberies that occurred several weeks apart at the same jewelry store in Sacramento.
The first robbery reportedly occurred on December 24, 2023 and the second robbery occurred on February 13, 2024. A group of suspects were involved in these robberies and the investigation is still ongoing. Click here to see a video that the Sheriff’s Office released of the robberies. If you have any information regarding the other suspects involved, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.
Wheat Ridge, CO – May 6, 2024 – On May 1, 2024, Michael McCormack was arrested in connection with the killing of jeweler Peter Arguello in November 29, 2023.
Please click here to read an article and learn more.
OAKLAND, CA �” April 30, 2024 – A federal grand jury has handed down a superseding indictment alleging Jakari Jenkins, Demarco Barnett, Garland Rabon, and Keanna Smith-Stewart conspired with each other, and other members of an Oakland-based street gang, to rob several San Francisco Bay Area businesses, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBIâ€Â) Special Agent in Charge Robert K Tripp. The superseding indictment, filed April 18, 2024, was unsealed last Friday at an initial appearance by defendant Rabon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore. The final defendant to appear in court, Ms. Smith-Stewart, made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Westmore earlier today.
The superseding indictment alleges that by March of 2022, the four defendants were all members of, or had association with, an Oakland-based street gang called the Ghost Town gang. The indictment describes a series of armed robberies and burglaries that were committed by groups of co-conspirators.
The first robbery described in the superseding indictment involved Barnett and Jenkins, who along with other members of the gang carried out the armed robbery of a coin and stamp store located on the 10th floor of a building in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco. As part of the plan, members of the conspiracy allegedly rented a car to be used as a getaway car. In addition, members of the conspiracy stole a license plate to be used on the getaway car and met additional members of the conspiracy at the Oakland residence of another gang member. On March 18, 2022, the day of the robbery, Barnett, Jenkins, and at least two additional unnamed co-conspirators entered the store, brandished firearms, and demanded money from the business and the two individuals who happened to be present at the time�” the owner and his son. The robbers struck the head and zip-tied the hands of the owner’s son, and absconded with cash, jewelry, and coins having an aggregate value of more than $300,000.
The second armed robbery described in the superseding indictment occurred approximately eight months later. As a prelude to the second robbery, members of the conspiracy pretended to be customers of a jewelry store in San Pablo. The pretend customers left jewelry with the operators of the store. According to the indictment, Jenkins, Barnett, and Rabon arrived at the jewelry store on November 12, 2022, with at least four other co-conspirators and robbed the store of jewelry, including the jewelry that members of the gang previously had left with the store. The robbers arrived in two getaway cars�”both Dodge Chargers bearing stolen license plates. Five co-conspirators, at least three of whom were brandishing firearms, entered the store while two of the co-conspirators waited outside in the getaway cars. The co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at approximately $300,000 to $500,000. The indictment describes how all four defendants in the superseding indictment later wore the stolen jewelry, shared the stolen jewelry with other members of Ghost Town gang members, or otherwise made use of the stolen jewelry for their personal purposes.
The superseding indictment also describes the November 24, 2022, burglary of an Audi dealership in Oakland. Specifically, the indictment describes how days before the robbery, Smith-Stewart allegedly purchased a black Audi S5 from the dealership using a fake driver’s license and another person’s social security number. After providing a down payment of approximately $9,500 toward the purchase of the car, Jenkins, Barnett, and another unindicted co-conspirator burglarized the dealership and stole the safe containing the down payment that Smith-Stewart previously had submitted.
Finally, the superseding indictment describes the Christmas Eve, 2022, armed robbery of a marijuana business in Oakland and one of its employees. The superseding indictment describes how the worker was leaving the business when Jenkins, Barnett, Rabon, and Smith-Stewart, along with at least four other co-conspirators, arrived at the marijuana business in two getaway cars. The robbers brandished weapons, directed the worker back into the building, and demanded “budded weed†and “money.†One of the robbers struck the worker in the head with a firearm. The robbers searched through the worker’s pockets and stole his bank debit card. The robbers absconded with the victim’s debit card and a bag of marijuana plant trimmings. The superseding indictment describes how on December 26, 2022, Smith-Stewart allegedly used the victim’s debit card at Westfield Mall in San Francisco to purchase more than $1,000 worth of items at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.
In sum, the defendants are charged with the following crimes:
Defendant
Charge
Maximum Statutory Sentence, If Convicted
ALL DEFENDANTS(one count each)
18 U.S.C. § 1951(a) Conspiracy to Engage in Robbery Affecting Interstate Commerce(Hobbs Act Robbery)
– Imprisonment: 20 years– Fine: $250,000– Supervised Release: 3 years– Special Assessment: $100 per count– Forfeiture– Restitution
In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order additional fines; restitution, if appropriate; and an additional term of supervised release to begin after any prison. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defendants Jenkins and Barnett are in custody and are scheduled to make the next appearance before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin on July 15, 2024, in Oakland. Defendants Rabon and Smith-Stewart are in custody and scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Judge Ryu on May 1, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Harding and Jonathan Lee, with the assistance of Yenni Weinberg and Erick Machado. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the police departments of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Pablo.
Athens – April 26, 2024 – Two Serbian nationals, aged 50 and 53, suspected members of the notorious ‘Pink Panthers’ gang, have been arrested in connection with a string of� jewellery store� burglaries in central� Athens.
The arrests come following a series of meticulous investigations by security officials, who linked the individuals to multiple incidents employing the sophisticated “rifle method†to carry out their crimes.
According to reports, the duo targeted jewellery establishments in prominent areas of Athens, including Kolokotroni Street in December and the Omonia district in March. Their modus operandi involved scouting for vulnerable targets located adjacent to vacant or abandoned buildings, primarily under the cover of night.
Utilising their knowledge of the area, the perpetrators would carefully assess the surroundings to ensure a stealthy entry, often creating an opening in the partition to gain access to the premises. To minimise the risk of detection, they employed cloth to muffle the sound of their activities.
During the break-ins, only the 50-year-old suspect would infiltrate the jewellery shops, maneouvering cautiously to evade alarm sensors while seizing the valuables. The stolen goods were then concealed in backpacks for a swift escape, with the accomplice standing lookout outside.
The duo made off with items valued at €169,000 from Kolokotroni Street in December and €147,000 from Athinas Street in March.
The arrests occurred when officers from the Burglary Department intercepted the suspects on Aristotelous Street. Despite resistance from the 53-year-old individual, both suspects were successfully apprehended.
Notably, both individuals have a history of similar offences, having served prison sentences in the past and released under restrictions.
Clik here to view the source for this article which was written by Charlie Kowalenko.
Salt Lake City, Utah �” April 24, 2024 – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly stole from a dollar store and a jewelry business while armed.�
According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, Carlos Anthony Martinez, 24, of Salt Lake City, robbed, at gunpoint, a dollar store employee in Grantsville, Utah, of money and merchandise.
On May 26, 2023, Martinez allegedly entered a jewelry store inside Smith’s Marketplace in Bountiful. Martinez carried a hatchet in one hand and a handgun in the other and smashed the top of a glass display case with the hatchet. At this time, an employee confronted Martinez and Martinez pointed the handgun in the employee’s direction. Martinez stole jewelry and ran out of the store, leaving the hatchet on the display case. Bountiful Police officers responded to the scene and searched for Martinez. Martinez was arrested April 15, 2024, following a signed arrest warrant by the court.�
Martinez is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is April 26, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police department, investigators from the Department of Public Safety State Bureau of Investigation, and other officers from the Utah Highway Patrol and Bountiful Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
Press release provided by USAO in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This press release was redacted to remove the name of the jewelry store. Click here to read the unredacted press release.
Rochester, MN – April 18, 2024 – Police responded to the burglary around 1:45 Sunday morning. Upon arrival officers found someone had broken the store’s front doors and smashed a jewelry case inside of the shop.
Police also saw jewelry that the suspect appeared to have dropped as he left the the jewelry store. There was also blood near the smashed case and blood found on an unbroken case.
Rochester Police Communications Coordinator Amanda Grayson said officers arrested a man suspected of using a stolen credit card to make a purchase at a Verizon store in southeast Rochester on Sunday. He was identified as 28-year-old Garrett Allen Dorsher of Stacy, MN.
The criminal complaint, filed in the burglary case in Olmsted County Court on Thursday, says the officer arresting Dorsher noticed blood on his hands. He also had jewelry with him and said he was trying to pawn and sell the items to customers at a tattoo shop. Dorsher was arranged in Olmsted County Court Thursday morning on charges of second-degree burglary, felony theft and first-degree property damage.
He’s being held on $20,000 bail. He’s accused of stealing� $2,621 worth of jewelry and inflicting� $3,250 in damages to the store.�
Court records show Dorsher has a criminal history in Minnesota that dates back to 2013 and includes multiple felony convictions of burglary and drug possession. He also has been convicted of Arson.
The alleged burglary occurred while Dorsher was serving a five-year stayed prison sentence for a firearm violation in St. Louis County, according to court records.
The redacted article above (to remove the jewelry store’s name) was written by TJ Leverentz, of KROC AM News. Click here to read the original article.
CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – April 4, 2024 – Police arrested a Maryland man for allegedly stealing from a jewelry store in Waldorf, Maryland, last week, according to a Charles County Sheriff’s Office press release.
On March 29, at around 11:46 a.m., police said they responded to a report of a theft incident in Waldorf, Maryland. That day, a man, later identified as 54-year-old Daniel Jerome Ball of Waldorf, went into a jewelry store and asked to see some jewelry, police said. He, then, suddenly took a ring, ran from the store and drove off.
Later, police said they were able to find his vehicle on Leonardtown Road near Forest Knolls Place. When police stopped the car, they said Ball ran into a nearby house, where he was later caught.
Police said they recovered the ring and arrested Ball.
According to the press release, detectives continued the investigation and found that Ball was previously connected to other theft incidents at five other businesses.
Ball was later charged with multiple counts of theft and a number of other offenses, police said.
On April 1, a judge decided to hold Ball at the Charles County Detention Center without bond.
Article written by 7News staff. Click here to read the unredacted source for this article.
La Mesa, California – April 6, 2024 – A 31-year-old man who allegedly pulled a hammer out of his waistband Friday at a La Mesa jewelry store, used it to shatter a glass display case and steal thousands of dollars worth of watches was arrested a short time later while trying to make his getaway.
Talon Fulcher of San Diego allegedly committed the smash-and-grab theft at the Grossmont Center mall business shortly before 11 a.m., then ran out of the shop and fled in a gold-colored sedan with no license plates, according to the La Mesa Police Department.
A few minutes later, an officer spotted the car nearby, in the 8400 block of Center Drive, LMPD Lt. Matt Conlon said. The patrolman and other officers pulled the suspect over a short distance away, took him into custody without incident and recovered the stolen goods, which were valued at about $7,000, the lieutenant said.
Fulcher was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of burglary, robbery and grand theft. He was being held on $100,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Click here to read the source for this posting written by City News Service.
April 7, 2024 – In the U.S. Island Territory of Guam, a man who allegedly walked out of a jewelry store with $24,000 worth of jewelry on Saturday was captured and charged in court the same day. Officers with the Guam Police Department responded to a jewelry store in East Hag�t�a just before noon for a reported theft. The store�s employees told police that a man, later identified as David Quichocho Uncangco Jr., had entered the store searching for a birthday gift for his son. But, when showed some merchandise, he reportedly took off with the items.
“The defendant had requested to view two gold baht chains and one diamond pendant. The total value (was) $24,290,” a magistrate’s complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam said.
Uncangco took the items and, in the process of running out of the store, the complaint said, he dropped his cellphone. He fled the store in a silver sedan GPD would later use to track him.
“Police learned that the defendant had rented the silver sedan � (and were) able to track the location of the vehicle. Police proceeded to said location,” the complaint said.
The vehicle�s license plate had been changed. When officers pulled the vehicle over, Uncangco was in the driver�s seat.
“A search of the vehicle yielded five plastic baggies containing suspected methamphetamine, one beveled cut straw containing suspected methamphetamine and two transparent pipes containing brown and white frosty substance suspected to be methamphetamine,” the complaint said, noting that at least one of the baggies contained 0.33 grams of the drug known as ice.
The jewelry store was not the only business to report a heist. On March 22, Uncangco allegedly stole a 24-karat gold coin from a pawn shop in Dededo.
“The defendant took the gold coin valued at $3,340 and walked out the door without paying for it,” the complaint said. Uncangco was charged with two counts of retail theft as second-degree felonies and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony.
Article by Jolene Toves- The Guam Daily Post.
Click here to read the original unredacted article (to remove the jewelry store’s name).
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands – April 7, 2024 – A man has been arrested in connection with a robbery and attempted murder at a local jewelry store, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department. The incident, which took place on Thursday, May 18, 2023, around 2:00 p.m., occurred at a jewelry store in Cruz Bay, where the store owner was shot in the face.
According to the VIPD, two unidentified males entered the establishment, and during the robbery, one of the suspects shot the owner. The assailants then fled the scene with an unspecified amount of jewelry. The injured business owner was subsequently transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center for medical attention.
The investigation into the violent crime led to the identification of 21-year-old Jamari Gumbs as one of the suspects involved. A warrant for Gumbs�s arrest was issued on Friday, April 5, 2024, and was executed the following day.
Gumbs faces a slew of charges, including first, second and third-degree robbery, first-degree attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm during a crime of violence, aiding and abetting, possession of an unlicensed firearm within 1,000 Ft. of a park, public school, and conspiracy.
Gumbs was unable to post the set bail of $250,000 and was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending an advise of rights hearing.
The redacted article above (to remove the name of the jewelry store that was targeted) was written by the staff of the U.S. Virgin Islands Consortium. The original, unredacted article can be viewed here.
