Crime Watch

Philippe Charriol U.S.A. and law enforcement officials are trying to track down a large shipment of timepieces stolen from one of the company's international distributors. Some of the watches are believed to have made their way to the U.S.

A'LOR International, which distributes the brand in the U.S., says all serial numbers of the watches have been recorded with the U.S. Customs Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation "for confiscation and prosecution purposes."

If approached by unauthorized sources, jewelers who carry the brand are encouraged to contact A'LOR International/Philippe Charriol U.S.A., 1227 Prospect St., La Jolla, Cal. 92037; (619) 454-0011, fax (619) 454-9944.

A man suspected of masterminding a robbery attempt in which a jeweler's wife died in March was captured in Canada in August.

The suspect, Avram David Gottlieb, was sought in connection with the attempted robbery at Jeffrey Scott Fine Jewelers in Franklin Park, N.J. Jeweler Jeffrey Wolf fired a gun to deter several robbers, but one of the bullets accidentally hit his wife, Brenda.

Four suspects were arrested shortly after the incident, but the fifth escaped (see JCK, June 1995, page 24). According to press reports and Somerset County, N.J., Prosecutor Nicholas L. Bissel Jr., Gottlieb was tracked to a hotel in Ottawa. When police arrived, Gottlieb reportedly ran to the room's balcony wielding two handguns. But he surrendered when he saw police sharpshooters with laser-guided weapons on nearby buildings.

At press time, Gottlieb was in a Canadian jail awaiting transfer to the U.S. He's also wanted in connection with a bank robbery in Denton, Kan.