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Armed robbery occurs at jewelry store in Northwest D.C., subjects wanted

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrimes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 23, 2024 – Metropolitan Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at a well-known jewelry store. On February 23, 2024, around 12:57 p.m., Washington Metropolitan Police Department Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a family-owned and operated jewelry store.

Once on scene, officers found subjects had broken a window. A witness told officers there were three people involved in the robbery. One of the robbers broke the exterior display window with a sledgehammer, while the other two reached through the broken glass and stole nine high-end watches. The subjects escaped with jewelry worth a high-monetary value.

The witness told officers they saw the robbers flee the scene in a car. Officers believe they used a Red 4-door Honda Accord during the time of the robbery.  So far no injuries have been reported. There is no description available of possible suspects, according to police.

Click here to read the original source of the modified excerpt above, written by Amber Anderson and Susan Rogers. Watch the news clip below to learn about this crime.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

diamonds

Police searching for man identified and accused of stealing from multiple Colorado jewelry stores

by Crime NewsCrime SuspectsCrime VideosCrimes

Longmont, CO – February 25, 2024 – Police up and down the Front Range are looking for 56-year-old James Margulis. He�s wanted by several police departments, accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores in two months. One victim is warning other business owners to be on the lookout.

Rudy Rodriguez is co-owner of a jewelry store in Longmont. He used to put the best, most expensive jewelry out on the floor. “Now, everything stays in the safe,” Rodriguez said. “You never know who’s coming through the door, because this guy that came through the door, he was nice looking and dressed well.”

Security video from Jan. 17 shows Rodriguez working behind the counter when a man in a tan jacket walks in. “I was going to show him one, and then he says ‘What about those?'” Rodriguez said. “I looked down and that’s when he took them and ran.”

The man stole a fistful of gold chains worth about $10,000. Rodriguez said he chased after the suspect, but he got away. “He stole from me,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why I pursued him, because it’s like coming into my house. This is our house. I was this close to grabbing that dude.”

Court documents show the suspect has a pattern. He acts like a typical customer coming in during business hours to shop for a family member. Sometimes it’s his anniversary and other times it’s a birthday or graduation. According to investigators, when he sees an opportunity to grab and run, he goes for it.

Court documents show Margulis has at least four warrants for his arrest. Two warrants are out of Boulder County, one out of Jefferson County, and another out of Larimer County. Margulis is accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores between Dec. 13 and Jan. 25. 

“It’s mind-boggling, and it’s upsetting,” Rodriguez said. “Do any of these other jewelry stores that he hasn’t walked into, do they know that’s his MO? Do they even know?”

Rodriguez has made some changes to his store. He�s added new security, such as motion sensor cameras. He�s also keeping more of their jewelry in the safe. “And if we show any of our gold, we show it over here,” Rodriguez said, pointing to the back of the store.

Margulis has been convicted of several thefts in the past. In addition to his new warrants, documents show he’s also wanted for violating parole.

Click here to read the original, unrevised article written by Brianna Clark.

Watch the video below to learn more:

If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

police tape

Subject shot by store employee in attempted robbery.

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrimes

police tape

Chicago, IL – February 24, 2024 – Shortly before 11:00 a.m. a male subject began to smash into a jewelry store’s display case. An employee of the store then responded with force. Joe Hiti of Audacy wrote the following about the incident:

The footage shows the attempted robber walking into the store and perusing for about a minute before running toward the entrance. On his way out, he started bashing in a glass jewelry case, causing the employee to reach behind the counter and begin shooting before he tried to flee.

Footage from outside the store showed the man falling out of the doors and running back in to grab what appeared to be a small bag before taking off. Police were quickly called, and they were able to subdue the man, taking him into custody and then to a hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound. Police say he is in stable condition. The employee was found to be a concealed carry license holder, ABC7 reported.

Click here to read Joe Hiti’s article.

Watch the video below to see the crime:

If you have any additional information regarding this incident, please contact the Jewelers� Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Handcuffs

�Smash & Grab� Suspects Arrested in�Troy, Michigan

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrime SuspectsCrimes

Troy, Michigan – On February 3, 2024, the Troy, Michigan Police Department made six arrests recently of suspects involved in �smash and grabs� at six jewelry stores in Michigan and Ohio. The suspects could be the group that did a recent robbery at the Lima Mall in early January.

Five of the suspects have been charged with armed robbery, while one suspect is charged with unarmed robbery and receiving and concealing stolen property. A total of $170,000 worth of jewelry was recovered.

Deshawn Hammonds, 20, Jasmine Latricia Oneal, 29, Courtez Eugene Lawrence, 27, Eric Lamar Lambert Bennett, 27, Desean Shakari Hall, 31, and 21-year-old Andre Demond Jackson have all been arraigned and are being held in the Macomb County Jail.

On January 13, 2024, there was a smash and grab robbery at jewelry store in the Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills. Three black males wearing hoodies and surgical masks entered the store, smashed out the cases and stole several thousand dollars� worth of jewelry.

A suspect vehicle was identified that registered to a rental company. Subsequently, the renter was also identified. A short time later that vehicle was returned to a Lansing rental location, and a new vehicle was rented.

On January 22, 2024, Troy SIU was notified by the Lansing Mall of a smash and grab at another Jewlery store. Eaton County Sheriff�s Office determined the getaway vehicle from the theft was the newly rented vehicle. Further investigation concluded this same group was responsible for a total of six robberies in Michigan and Ohio.

The new rental vehicle was located, and surveillance was initiated. The vehicle travelled to Sterling Heights at which point Sterling Heights PD, Shelby Twp. PD and Troy PD Directed Patrol Officers were contacted and requested to assist. The vehicle entered the Lakeside Mall parking lot in Sterling Heights and began to circle the lot with another vehicle that was stolen from Harper Woods on 1/16/24. At approximately 2pm, four black males got out of the vehicle and went inside Lakeside Mall, leaving two individuals outside. All four were wearing hoods and surgical masks. After a few minutes of scouting, the four entered a Jewelry store near center court and immediately began smashing out cases. After grabbing what they could carry, they all fled on foot in various directions, but were quickly apprehended by officers on scene. All six suspects were transported directly to Macomb County Jail. Approximately $170,000 worth of jewelry was stolen/recovered.

The Troy Police Department credits the exceptional effort of the Troy Special Investigations Unit for this complex investigation and arrests. The Special Investigations Unit is comprised of officers from the Auburn Hills Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, and Troy Police Department. These investigators work together in a collaborative, multi-jurisdictional unit that investigates criminal activity impacting the region.

We would also like to recognize the collaborative efforts of the Eaton County Sheriff�s Office, the Sterling Heights Community Response Unit and the Shelby Township Police Surveillance Unit.

Click here to read the source of this posting.

police tape

Jeweler kidnapped after shooting, robbery at Gaston Co. jewelry store

by Crimes
Police tape and police vehicles.

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. – January 31, 2024 – A man was shot in the back during a robbery and kidnapping that began at his jewelry store in Gastonia on Wednesday night, officials said.

Police investigated two scenes, one at the jewelry store, and another at the jeweler’s home. The two locations are about 15 minutes apart.

Officers were called to his home just before 8:30 p.m., the Belmont Police Department said. When officers arrived, the jeweler told them that he had been shot and robbed by four masked men at the store. After the robbery, police said he was kidnapped and taken back to his home in Belmont.

Investigators said all evidence suggests that the subjects left the area after going to the man�s house.

A police report said the man�s Chevrolet Tahoe was also stolen, but was recovered at his home.

He was taken to the hospital where he is being treated for a gunshot wound in his back.

If you have any information regarding this subject, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Click here to read the original report made by WBTV.

Angelina Ordonez

WANTED- Self-described influencer identified in string of jewelry store thefts in San Diego County and possibly, elsewhere

by Crime SuspectsCrimes

EL CAJON, Calif. – January 22, 2024 – Investigators are on the hunt for a woman wanted for a string of thefts at jewelry stores in San Diego County and possibly, elsewhere.

Late December, at around 2 p.m., El Cajon Police Sgt. Kevin Reilly says a woman walked into a jewelry store with a request. “She requested to see necklaces that were in the display in front of her, and they were gold necklaces,” said Sgt. Reilly. Sources tell ABC 10News she was well put together, from her makeup to a stylish hot pink jacket. She mentioned she was an �influencer,� and she was draped in diamonds, from diamond rings and a bracelet to a necklace. Police say the store employee took out several necklaces from a display.

“The jewelry is pulled out for her to try on. At one point, she steps away and makes a phone call on her cell phone. She returns back to the counter and informs the clerk that she�ll take it, and then she grabs the handful of jewelry and runs out of the business,” said Sgt. Reilly.

Investigators say the woman made off with $36,000 in gold necklaces.

Police say parking lot surveillance photos showed the car she got into, a getaway driver at the wheel. License plate cameras helped police identify the car and the alleged thief: Angelina Ordonez, 23, with addresses in San Diego and Yuma, AZ.

“She had committed the same style of theft at a jewelry store in Escondido later that same day after ours. Approximately two weeks prior, she committed a similar theft at a jewelry store in Carlsbad,” said Sgt. Reilly. Police are looking into links to several other, similar thefts in Southern California, Arizona and Michigan, all in the past few months.

Investigators advised Ordonez was detained for shoplifting in Arizona earlier this month, but the theft warrants weren’t yet active, and she was released. Police have not confirmed if her claims of being a social media influencer are legitimate.

Click here to view the news clip and click here to read the original source for this posting.

If you have any information regarding this suspect, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

diamonds

New York’s Diamond District Confronts Emerging Threat of Crypto Fraud

by Crime NewsCrimes

New York, NY- Manhattan’s diamond district is a single chaotic block on West 47th Street, between 5th and 6th avenues. It’s usually crowded with people in groups, smoking and talking under their breath.

Men in designer jackets often ask, “buying or selling?” as they try to usher pedestrians into shops that sell glittering jewels for small fortunes.

Mike Shim has worked on this block for 15 years. Recently, a customer stole a large value of watches from his shop, by paying with fraudulent crypto currency, he said. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to be exchanged through a decentralized computer network. The technology has been marred by fraud with high-profile cases, such as the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried.

“I got burned,” Shim said, ripping down a sticker that read “We Accept Bitcoin” from his store window. Crypto fraud cost U.S. businesses $2.57 billion in 2022, as attempts to regulate the industry have floundered.

The customer who pulled off the scam against Shim said he was from Dubai. He came in wearing a $60,000 watch, Shim said, shopping for other luxury timepieces.

Nothing was suspicious; the customer even haggled about the price. “If you negotiate, you seem legit,” Shim said.

When they finally settled on a watch and a price, the customer asked if he could pay in USBT, referring to an Ethereum token, a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to the U.S. dollar’s value. “No problem,” said Shim. “We use crypto all day.”

That would be the last such transaction Shim ever accepted. The customer went through the motions of transferring the money to the store’s crypto wallet. Shim carefully confirmed the transfer with his employee. Then he handed over the two Rolexes, three high-end watches.

After the customer left, Shim got a call from his staffer saying the currency was fake. “It looked like USBT,” Shim said. “It was actually BUSBT,” a completely worthless type of token.

Click here to learn more and read the original source for this posting made by the Columbia News Service.

Sentenced Robbery Suspects

Women sentenced to two years in prison for Palm Desert smash-and-grab robbery

by Crimes

Palm Desert, California – January 10, 2024 – Two women who took part in a smash-and-grab robbery, allegedly with four men, at a Palm Desert business last year have pleaded guilty to robbery and were each sentenced to two years in state prison.

Destiny Unique Baca, 18, of San Bernardino, and 24-year-old Los Angeles resident Analea Paradise Miller pleaded guilty Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to one felony count of robbery and had one felony count each of organized retail theft with intent to sell and grand theft of over $950 dismissed, according to court records.   

They were each immediately sentenced to two years in state prison, according to Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Brooke Beare.

Also suspected in the robbery are Los Angeles residents Julian Hermosillo, 19, Mason Barron, 22, and Reymond Garcia, 24, and Byron Lee, 19, of Compton. All were charged with grand theft over $950 and organized retail theft, according to court records. Hermosillo, Garcia and Lee were additionally charged with a felony count each of robbery while Barron faces two more felony counts each of robbery, grand theft over $950, organized retail theft and burglary.

They have all pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.

Click here to read the original source for this posting.

jamison-l-townsend

Missouri woman sentenced to 10 years for fatal Mississippi pawn shop robbery

by Crime NewsCrimes

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. – January 10, 2024 – A Missouri woman has been sentenced to serve a decade in prison for her involvement in a 2016 robbery at a Jackson, Mississippi pawn shop in which three people were killed.

According to court documents, 42-year-old Jamison Layne Townsend and her co-defendant, Joshua Michael Garcia, went to a jewelry store on December 17, 2016, to rob the business.

During the robbery, Garcia shot and killed the owner and two co-workers. Townsend and Garcia emptied the display cases of watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets, coins, and other items. Later that day, they entered a pawn shop in Mobile, Ala., and pawned five items that were stolen from the jewelry store earlier that day.

On December 19, 2016, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol attempted to stop Townsend and Garcia, who were traveling in a red Dodge Charger on Interstate 24. A chase ensued and the two suspects escaped at a high rate of speed.

Two days later, both were arrested in Geary County, Kan. Officers searched the vehicle and found numerous items that were stolen from the jewelry store, including coins, watches, trays of jewelry, and many items that still contained the sales tags from the jewelry store.

Additionally, officers recovered four firearms, including a Les Baer.45 caliber handgun that was determined to be the murder weapon by the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory. Ammunition, a cell phone, and numerous items of clothing were also recovered from the Dodge Charger.

Townsend pled guilty on September 18, 2023, to three counts of accessory after the fact. Joshua Michael Garcia had previously pled guilty to discharging a firearm that resulted in the murder of three persons during the commission of a robbery. He was sentenced to three life sentences.

Click here to read the original source for this posting written by Caleb Salers.

Alexander Peraza Navas

Trigger-happy crook charged in Brooklyn for six robberies, two carjackings: Feds

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrimes

New York, NY- December 20, 2023 – A trigger-happy robber was busted after a string of armed heists and carjackings � including one jewelry store stickup in which he shot out a glass partition and made off with a jewelry worth a significant monetary value, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn allege.

Franco Alexander Peraza Navas, 30, was arrested in Yonkers on Sunday and charged in connection with what prosecutors described as “a wanton spree of at least two gunpoint carjackings and six gunpoint robberies and attempted robberies.”

The thievery in its entirety took place between August and December, and he fired his gun in at least three of his crimes, prosecutors alleged.

They used cell tower data and spoke to witnesses to identify Navas, learning that he returned to a residence with key-card access after a September store heist in Sheepshead Bay.

His big score came in October, when he fired a bullet during a jewelry store robbery at a store in Queens, NY prosecutors said. He allegedly blasted a bulletproof partition, “then kicked through the now-damaged bulletproof partition and stole approximately three trays of diamond and gold rings with an approximate value of $375,000 before fleeing on a black moped.”

Navas opened fire three times during another jewelry store robbery in November, feds alleged. He escaped capture when police tried to arrest him in Queens on Nov. 3.”Navas ran through a red light, jumped a median and drove quickly in the opposite direction. When officers gave chase in their vehicle, Navas ran through two additional red lights, jumped another median, and was able to successfully evade capture � enabling him to commit three additional violent offenses before he was apprehended [Sunday],” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Sherman.

This case was investigated by ATF and NYPD. Navas was ordered held without bail at an arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court on Monday.

Click here to read more about Navas’s offenses.

Click here to read the original source of this article.