In what the Jewelers’ Security Alliance dubbed a significant development, 17 people have been charged with being part of a Detroit-based gang responsible for at least six smash-and-grab robberies of jewelers in six states.
“These indictments are a very big deal,” says JSA president John Kennedy, who flew to Michigan to participate in a press conference announcing the charges. “This Detroit crew has been the number-one threat to the jewelry industry over the last year and a half.”
The metro Detroit–based crew allegedly hit stores in New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Connecticut, and targeted jewelers that sold Rolex watches, according to an FBI statement. Members would generally enter the store, smash the Rolex display case with sledgehammer and flee the store using stolen vehicles, it said.
Tips to prevents smash-and-grabs can be seen here.
At a news conference, law enforcement officials announced they are seeking other individuals believed to have been part of a smash and grab crew.
Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company and JSA are offering a combined reward of up to $45,000 for information leading to the arrest of other individuals responsible for those robberies. (The JCK Industry Fund has backed JSA’s campaign to offer reward money with a grant.)
A copy of the FBI’s wanted poster can be seen here.
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