$4.4 Million Jewelry Theft Spree Hit Stores in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Virginia, Says U.S. Department of Justice

A jewelry theft ring hit stores in New York and six other states in a string of after-hours burglaries worth more than $4.4 million.

Federal prosecutors say a group of thieves posed as customers to scout jewelry stores and kiosks then broke in after closing, sometimes by cutting through walls.

An initial target was the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford in October of 2023.

The same crew also struck New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York and Virginia between May of 2023 and April of 2024. None of the stolen merchandise has been recovered.

Prosecutors say much of the jewelry went to a Queens store owner who resold pieces including to buyers who melted the gold.

Two men charged in the case, Elvis Guevara Quintero and Jaime Torres Castiblanco, have been extradited from Colombia.

They appeared in federal court in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.

Each faces up to five years on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years on the transportation count.

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