Maryland Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing More Than $32,000 in High-End Goods

BOSTON – A Maryland man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to stealing thousands of items from a high-end outlet store in Wrentham, Mass.

Nathaniel Owens, 33, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2024 to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024. Owens was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his co-defendants Linworth Hayes Crawford III and Ronald Patterson, Jr. 

According to the charging documents, on the evening of Sept. 16, 2021, Owens, Crawford and, allegedly, Patterson traveled from the Washington D.C. area to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts. In the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2021, Owens and his co-defendants allegedly entered the Gucci store by smashing the store’s glass front door and stole $32,000 in high-end merchandise including handbags, duffle bags, backpacks and sunglasses.  

Owens was captured on mall security videos inside the mall visiting the Nike Store. After the robbery, the car used by the defendants crossed the George Washington Bridge going south.  During a stop on their way to Washington, D.C., a store video surveillance camera filmed one of the men allegedly taking a Gucci bag out of the car to examine it. 

The day after the theft, Patterson allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the Gucci bags stolen during the burglary earlier that day.

Crawford pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on Feb. 3, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2024. Patterson has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The charge of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 fine. The charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wrentham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. 

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.