2 Charged in Series of Luxury Watch Robberies in NY Metro Area

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PinkDiamond
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2 Charged in Series of Luxury Watch Robberies in NY Metro Area

Post by PinkDiamond »

They may have nabbed these two but there are others in New York, and it remains to be seen if they'll be let loose since NY releases all sorts of criminals back onto the streets, as does CA, so be careful and keep your jewelry concealed. :?

2 Charged in Series of Luxury Watch Robberies in NY Metro Area

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"New York—Two men have been charged in connection with multiple luxury watch robberies and attempted robberies throughout the New York metro area.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, Victor Rivera, 30, and 40-year-old Johan Araujo allegedly committed 11 armed robberies and attempted robberies of jewelers and owners of luxury watches in New York, New Jersey, and Long Island.

Starting around October 2019 and continuing through November 2020, a recently unsealed indictment alleges the two men, as well as “others known and unknown,” robbed or tried to rob victims of luxury watches worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

Targeted watch brands included Richard Mille, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.

The attorney’s office declined to comment when asked if there were more suspects involved in the robberies, stating only that the investigation is ongoing.

Rivera used a gun in several of the robberies, the attorney’s office said, and in one incident, a victim was shot but survived.

A full list of the 11 robberies and attempted robberies Rivera and Araujo are charged in can be seen in the statement from the office.

Back in March, the Jewelers’ Security Alliance issued a warning about a spate of high-end watch robberies in the New York area, as well as in Los Angeles.

Araujo was arrested on July 23, while Rivera was previously charged in an indictment in November 2020 and is currently in custody.

Both have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, attempted robbery, attempted extortion, interstate transportation of stolen property, money laundering, and firearms offenses.

Their charges carry a range of maximum penalties, from 10 years to ... "

https://www.nationaljeweler.com/article ... metro-area
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Re: 2 Charged in Series of Luxury Watch Robberies in NY Metro Area

Post by PinkDiamond »

Here's more on these watch and jewelry thefts in NY, with more information on their targets, and why these robberies were so different from the norm so I thought I'd add it to this thread. ;)

Two Men Indicted For Robbing Jewelers Off-Premises
By Rob Bates | July 30, 2021

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"Victor Rivera, 30, and Johan Araujo, 40, have been indicted for allegedly committing at least 11 robberies, mostly of high-value watches from jewelers in the New York tri-state area, according to a news release from the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

What makes these robberies particularly nasty—as well as rare—is that they didn’t occur in stores. The two suspects allegedly swiped watches from jewelers when they were eating, near their homes, and walking on the street, says John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA).

The indictment charges that the armed duo robbed a jeweler in Brooklyn, N.Y., of a Patek Philippe watch worth over $160,000 and a diamond necklace worth over $77,000; stole a Richard Mille watch worth over $81,000 from a jeweler in Hoboken, N.J.; and nabbed a Richard Mille watch worth over $250,000 from a jeweler in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., among other robberies.

The suspects mostly targeted jewelers based in the Diamond District, but in one case, a nonjeweler was targeted after he showed off his expensive watch on social media, Kennedy says.

The easiest way for jewelers to avoid these crimes is to not wear expensive watches or jewelry in public, but Kennedy realizes that’s difficult advice for most to follow.

“We can’t say, ‘Don’t wear jewelry’—that’s ridiculous,” he says. “The advice we give is to be prudent. There are people on 47th Street who are very ostentatious. Everyone can see what they’re wearing.”

High-end watches in particular may pose “special risks,” JSA says.

The JSA has long recommended jewelers not conduct business in public, take precautions to avoid being followed, and follow proper security procedures at their homes.

The other piece of advice is a familiar one from JSA: If you are robbed, don’t resist.

In one incident that took place in March, a man was showing watches to a potential customer at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, Calif. Three men tried to steal the watches by ... "

https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-art ... -premises/
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ There are miracles left for you to do .... -:¦:- -:¦:-
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