Eight members of a Detroit-based robbery crew that traveled from state to state to rob jewelry stores are going to federal prison for a 2013 heist at Lenox Square Mall.
“The arrest and conviction of this crew has prevented an untold number of additional smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry stores on the eastern half of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn.
The group used sledgehammers to smash glass display cases at the Mayors Jewelry store during business hours on June, 21, 2013 and stole an estimated 19 Rolex watches with a retail value of about $637,000, Horn said.
Their plan was to take the watches back to Detroit and then sell them to “fences” — dishonest jewelry dealers — who would sell them on the black market. Several of the watches were sold to fences in Detroit.
“These defendants traveled the country searching for the most expensive jewelry stores to rob,” Horn said. “They used sledgehammers during business hours to terrify store employees, smash open display cases, and steal jewelry to sell on the black market.”
Several members of the crew are linked to similar jewelry store robberies in Michigan, Virginia, Florida, and elsewhere, Horn said.
The FBI eventually identified the robbers and, in July 2013, several of the crew were stopped outside a mall in Aventura, Fla., where they’d gone to commit another smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery, Horn said. The others were arrested as the investigation unfolded.
Five defendants pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, and/or conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Corey Burrows, 27, was sentenced to four years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Jasmine Dozier, 26, was sentenced to two years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Damien Gayles, 25, was sentenced to seven years, eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Allen Adams, 28, was sentenced to four years, three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Kamauri Kennedy, 26, was sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
The three others pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery, and/or conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Lorenzo Terry, 22, was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Anthony Hill, 26, was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
Jason Arnold, 21, was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,465.
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