Four Members of Newark-Based “Smash and Grab” Jewelry Robbery Ring Sentenced to Prison
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 05, 2009 |
TRENTON—Four members of a Newark-based “smash-and-grab” jewelry store robbery ring, which targeted jewelry stores in shopping malls in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Georgia, were sentenced today to sentences ranging from 57 months to 102 months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced.
U.S. District Judge Garrett E. Brown, Jr. sentenced Regaldo Hernandez, 27, to 102 months in prison; Angel Concepcion, 24, to 87 months in prison; Valentin Cedeno, 25, to 57 months in prison; and Quadir Snell, 27, to 96 months in prison.
Judge Brown also ordered the defendants to pay restitution in the approximate amounts as follows: Cedeno, $485,000; Snell, $322,000; Hernandez, $458,000, and Concepcion, $488,000.
Hernandez and Concepcion pleaded guilty before Judge Brown on Sept. 19, 2008, to Count One of a Superseding Indictment, which charged a conspiracy from July 2003 until September 2005, to commit “smash-and-grab” robberies of seven jewelry stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida:
- Bailey, Banks & Biddle at the Garden State Mall in Paramus, N.J.;
- Corbo Jewelers at the Rockaway Town Square Mall in Rockaway, N.J.;
- J.E. Caldwell Company at the King of Prussia, Court Mall, in Upper Merion Township, Pa.;
- Sherman & Sons Jewelers at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in Bridgewater, N.J.;
- Mayors Jewelers at the Seminole Towne Center Mall in Sanford, Fla.;
- Mayors Jewelers at the Mall of Georgia in Buford, Ga.;
- Ultra Diamond Outlet in Jackson Township, N.J.
According to the Superseding Indictment, the conspirators robbed six of the stores, taking jewelry valued at more than $1,270,000. They also attempted a seventh robbery but aborted the robbery prior to reaching the targeted jewelry store. The Superseding Indictment further charged the conspirators with selling the stolen jewelry here in New Jersey.
Cedeno pleaded guilty on Sept. 25, 2008, to Count One of the Superseding Indictment, which charged him with joining the conspiracy described above.
Snell pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2008, before Judge Brown to Count Eight of the Superseding Indictment, charging him with robbing the Mayors Jewelers at the Mall of Georgia.
Three other co-conspirators, William Valentin, Hector Perez, and Hiram Ortiz, are scheduled forsentencing later this month.
Marra credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge Weysan Dun in Newark, Investigators with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest, and Investigators with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow, for this successful investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott McBride, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Government Fraud Unit.