DC Based Crew Charged Robbing Jewelry Stores: Federal authorities detained eight individuals and named eight others in connection with a robbery network that targeted Asian-owned East Coast diamond retailers. Thefts and carjackings in Washington, D.C., have increased 67% this year compared to last year. The 2045-year-old suspects are accused of robbery conspiracy. Some are accused of carjacking and gun violence.
The D.C. chief federal prosecutor, Matthew M. Graves, said the suspects targeted the shops because they felt they contained easy-to-sell gold. D.C. District Court filed the charge after raids in Virginia, Maryland, and California. Police retrieved firearms and $300,000 from a safe in one home during the search.
The FBI’s Newark field office head, James Dennehy, called the crimes “takeover-style” and aimed to “terrify and overwhelm” store owners and personnel. The establishments were broken into in Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Asian Americans operate all stores, although hate crime charges are not planned. The robbers allegedly used stolen autos. This trend has worsened in D.C.
The D.C. police have documented 662 carjackings this year, 102% more than last year. The federal government charged an 18-year-old with stealing cars with a gun and selling them to undercover police officers this week. Graves reported a “rise in carjackings and, more recently, armed robberies” in D.C. that have never occurred before. Graves advised prosecutors to consider charging 16- and 17-year-olds who have committed repeated robberies as adults to stop them.
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Two guys arrested for unlawfully owning guns in D.C. initiated the crime ring probe. These investigations revealed a more organized jewelry shop robbery strategy in Falls Church and Springfield, Va. The case stretched to four states and involved many local and federal police. Armed thieves hid under dark garments, masks, and gloves.
The Wednesday raids took place in a two-story rowhouse on First Street Northwest in Truxton Circle, District, but authorities wouldn’t specify where. The safe with $300,000 was not in D.C. Police, and lawyers estimated that hundreds of thousands of dollars were stolen from the establishments.
According to Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith, “If you choose to recklessly disregard safety in D.C., we will do everything we can to find and hold those people accountable.” The raid and subsequent arrests helped stem the spike in D.C. robberies and carjackings.
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Our Reader’s Queries
What is the biggest robbery in the world?
In March 2003, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the world witnessed the biggest cash heist ever. Around US$1 billion was stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq in this historic event.
What may be one of the biggest jewelry heists ever remains a mystery a year later?
The mystery of what could potentially be one of the largest jewelry heists in history continues to baffle authorities. The stolen goods, valued at either $8.7 million or a staggering $100 million, depending on the source, have yet to be located. In just 27 minutes, the jewelry disappeared from a Brink’s tractor-trailer in California last year.