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RAPAPORT... Four people have been sentenced to federal prison for robbing an interstate traveling jeweler of his merchandise in College Station, Texas. Ivan Carvajal, 30, and Tito Vargas, 25, both of Houston, previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Hughes to 136 and 57 months, respectively. Luis Flores, 22, of Houston, and Maria Guitierrez, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, had also entered a plea of guilty and were both previously sentenced to 60 months in prison. However, one remaining defendant, Brayan Vargas (pictured), 19, of Bogota, Colombia, and who is not related to Tito, is currently a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest.  On August 24, 2011, the defendants followed a traveling, New York-based jeweler as he made sales calls in southeastern Texas. Gutierrez followed him into an electronics store as he shopped, as well. The next day, the five robbers waited for him at the location where he had left his merchandise overnight. The suspects met with the others and trailed him again from Houston to College Station in at least four cars. Eventually, in College Station, they robbed him of approximately $200,000 worth of jewelry at gunpoint.
Immediately thereafter, Gutierrez and Carvajal were involved in a traffic accident, but fled the scene. They were soon arrested for fleeing an accident and officers also located other evidence and connected bits of broken glass in their vehicle with that of the victim's car. Brayan and Tito were later arrested at apartment complex in Houston for their role in the jewelry robbery and at the time of their arrest, agents located a large sum of U.S. currency and a diamond tester. They also recovered jewelry taken during the College Station robbery as well as goods from a robbery in Shreveport, Louisiana. However, Brayan had been released on bond and then he fled. Flores was arrested for his role in the College Station robbery while serving time in Texas Department of Corrections for an attempted theft of a jeweler that occurred on April 21, 2011. At the time of the College Station robbery, he was out on bond on that charge.
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