Daytona Beach, FL – On July 22, 2024, the two subjects above entered a jewelry store and asked an employee for assistance with gold chains. One of the subjects was shown one chain, and a little while later, he was shown a second chain. The subject then asked to try on the gold chain. He looked in the mirror for a few moments, and then ran from the store followed by his accomplice. It should be noted the subject kept his hands in his pockets and didn’t touch anything. In addition, as the subject was trying on the chain, his accomplice moved next to the door.
Suspect Description:
1) Black male, early 20’s, 5’7, thin but athletic build, medium dreds out the back of his baseball cap. He was last seen wearing a white tee-shirt, long gray cargo shorts, white socks, slip on gray shoes, and a gray and white baseball cap with a white logo on the front.
2) “Accomplice” – Black Male, early 20’s, 6’1, heavy build over 200 lbs., medium height hair with shaved sides, wearing a black shirt with the word “Carhartt” in white lettering, black shorts, black high-top sneakers, and white socks.
If you have any information, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.
Phoenix, AZ – July 15, 2024 – Police in Phoenix are searching for the two subjects above who utilized a scooter to conduct a burglary in a mall. It was reported two male subjects accessed the mall by breaking into the South entrance, then road their motorcycle to the location that sells jewelry.ÂÂ
Subject #1 then repeatedly struck the jewelry case with a sledgehammer, shattering two glass showcases. Subject #2 then gathered various gold chains, charms, gold bonded and other gold items, from one of the showcases and placed them in a black bag. The subjects then fled the from the mall on their motorcycle after approximately 1 minute.ÂÂ
Suspect(s) Description:
Subject #1 – Male, black motorcycle helmet, black adidas printed shirt, black shorts, black gloves, white shoes.
Subject #2 – Male, black motorcycle helmet, black long sleeve shirt, black gloves, blue jeans, white shoes.
If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at 212-687-0328 or jsa2@jewelersseecurity.org.
West Hollywood, CA – Sometime between June 17th and 18th 2024, a four-man burglary crew was caught on surveillance cameras hugging and high-fiving after successfully breaking into a safe at a West Hollywood jewelry store and making off with precious, one-of-a-kind pieces made by the shop’s owners.
To view the article provided by KTLA, click here. A news clip is also below:
If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at 212-687-0328 or jsa2@jewelersseecurity.org.
Oklahoma City, OK – On June 24, 2024, at 11:20 a.m., a male and female entered a jewelry store and requested to see engagement rings. The subjects began looking around and requested to look at a piece. The male subject flashed around some dollar bills in an attempt to distract the employee. Once the employee was assisting the pair, the male subject walked away. The female subject remained until she gained possession of the ring and at that time she fled the location. They were last seen driving away in what is described as a maroon four door sedan.
Subject 1- White female, early to mid-twenties, 5 feet with a petite build, reddish blonde hair wearing black and white croc style shoes. It should be noted she had bruising on face and arms.
Subject 2 – Black Male, mid to late twenties, 5’8 with thin to medium build, short hair and a scruffy beard with mustache, dark long sleeve sweats type shirt with white logo. Black sweatpants, wearing slides style footwear.
If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at 212-687-0328 or jsa2@jewelersseecurity.org.
Glendora, California – May 15, 2024 – Police in a California community are investigating a jewelry heist at a local business where thieves got away with a large value of jewelry, diamonds, gold and cash.ÂÂ
The owner of jewelry store in Glendora, shared surveillance video of the May 15 robbery, showing four to five thieves entering the store through the roof and drilling through two steel safes for approximately six hours before finally leaving with a large value of goods.ÂÂ
The excerpt above was slightly redacted. To view the unredacted article provided by Stephany Price, click here.
If you have any information regarding the subjects related to this article, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA – On the April 21, 2024, at approximately 5:32 pm, a jewelry store experienced a theft of men’s bracelets via a distraction theft. The subjects wanted to look at men’s bracelets and were able to convince the employee to bring out a display unit featuring multiple items. Both individuals were talkative and took turns distracting the employee with conversation and many gestures while explaining what item they were looking for. While standing in a group, one fraudster had the employee’s attention, the other fraudster removed the bracelets from the display units and ultimately pocketed the items, unseen by the employee.
If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact JSA at 212-687-0328
St. George, Utah – April 29, 2024 – A theft at a jewelry store brought police officers to a shopping center shopping center on Monday evening, after a man fled the area with diamonds in hand in a grab and run theft.
If you have any information regarding this subject’s identity, please contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at 212-687-0328.
Click here to view an article written by Mori Kessler and to view a video.
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.
