Colombian National Gets 57 Months for Multi-State Mall Jewelry Theft Ring
The case centers on a Colombian-led crew that hit mall jewelry shops in several states, causing over $4.4 million in losses with no merchandise recovered.
Overview
- U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley sentenced Jorge Giovanni Escobar Gonzalez, 41, in Bridgeport federal court after his April 9 guilty plea to interstate transportation of stolen property.
- Prosecutors say the crew burglarized stores and kiosks from May 2023 to April 2024, with incidents documented in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and Virginia.
- Court filings describe pre-burglary surveillance, Escobar posing as a customer to probe security, and assigned roles including thieves, lookouts, and a getaway driver.
- Escobar has been jailed since his May 19, 2024 arrest in Florida on related state charges; authorities say the stolen goods or proceeds were moved across state lines.
- The FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force led the investigation with support from multiple FBI field offices and numerous local and state agencies.