(WNY News Now) – NEW HAVEN, CT – Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, alongside Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted seven individuals connected to a nationwide jewelry theft ring. The indictment, returned on July 16, 2024, and partially unsealed on September 12, 2024, reveals a sophisticated scheme targeting mall-based jewelry stores across the United States.
The indictment charges EDIXON RINCON PUENTES, 44, formerly of Los Angeles, CA; HAROLD RAMIREZ CAGUA, 40, of Miami, FL; and YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 40, of Kissimmee, FL. Rincon Puentes was arrested on July 17, 2024, in Queens, NY, Ramirez Cagua and Melendez Rincon were taken into custody on July 18, 2024. Rincon Puentes and Ramirez Cagua are currently detained, while Melendez Rincon is under home confinement with location monitoring. Another suspect, JORGE GIOVANNI ESCOBAR GONZALEZ, 40, of Kissimmee, FL, is already in federal custody following prior state charges. The identities of the remaining defendants, who are still at large, remain sealed.
According to court documents, the defendants are accused of orchestrating a series of burglaries from May 2023 to April 2024, targeting jewelry stores and kiosks in malls across multiple states. Notable incidents include burglaries at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, CT (October 5, 2023); Hamilton Township, NJ (October 27, 2023); Henrico, VA (November 4, 2023); and Horseheads, NY (April 18, 2024). The stolen property and proceeds amount to over $1.28 million. The conspiracy also involved surveillance of additional locations in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
The indictment accuses Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, and Escobar Gonzalez of conspiracy, a charge carrying up to five years in prison, and interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery emphasized that an indictment is merely a formal accusation and does not imply guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation is led by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, with support from various local police departments including Milford (CT), Hamilton Township (NJ), Delaware State Police, Henrico County (VA), New York State Police, NYPD, and Pensacola (FL) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon are prosecuting the case. Avery also acknowledged the assistance of several U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Field Offices across the country.
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