New York Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping, Jewelry Store Robbery

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER GAY, 30, of the Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 102 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a violent kidnapping and jewelry store robbery in April 2013.

According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on April 11, 2013, GAY, William Davis, Jeffrey Houston and Kasam Hennix, all of whom were wearing masks and gloves and two of whom were armed with handguns, broke into an apartment on Gravel Street in Meriden, Conn., bound four victims with duct tape and covered their heads with pillowcases, towels and jackets.  Davis, Houston and Hennix then forced two of the victims into a victim’s vehicle and drove to Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield, Conn., where the two victims worked.  A fifth co-defendant followed behind them in a second vehicle.  GAY remained in the Meriden apartment to guard the two other victims.

After the perpetrators arrived at the Fairfield store, they stole jewelry, watches and loose diamonds with a total replacement value of more than $3 million.  They then fled in the victim’s car, leaving the two victims bound inside the store. One of the defendants called GAY to advise him that they had successfully carried out the robbery and that he should leave the apartment.

On May 22, 2013, GAY was arrested at a hotel in the Bronx.  A search of his hotel room revealed approximately $59,000 in cash, two Movado watches, one Breitling watch and several pieces of jewelry that were still bearing price tags, including a pair of diamond earrings concealed inside a cassette case with a $23,800 price tag from Lenox Jewelers.

GAY was ordered to pay restitution of more than $3 million.

GAY has been detained since his arrest.  On December 10, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

William Davis of Allentown, Pa., Jeffrey Houston of Allentown, and Kasam Hennix of Easton, Pa., also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in this kidnapping and robbery.  The fifth co-defendant is awaiting trial.  On April 17, 2015, Davis was sentenced to 176 months of imprisonment.  Houston and Hennix have not been sentenced.

The defendants also have forfeited gemstones, jewelry, watches, a vehicle, and more than $127,000 in cash seized from them at the time of their arrests.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fairfield Police Department and Meriden Police Department.  U.S. Attorney Daly also acknowledged the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI in New York and Pennsylvania; the York, Allentown and Bethlehem Police Departments in Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Lee Dayton.