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Houston Heist Grabs $1M in Goods From Diamond Dealer
Jul 19, 2015 5:28 AM
By Ronen Shnidman
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RAPAPORT... An Israeli diamond dealer was reportedly robbed of an estimated $1 million of merchandise last week in Houston, multiple sources have confirmed.
The diamond dealer was accosted on his way to the airport. Local Houston area TV station KPRC 2 reported that the dealer was followed to the airport by a gang that proceeded to rear-end his vehicle and grab his case of goods. The TV station added that the dealer was unhurt in the incident.
A diamond industry source with ties to security providers noted that close to a dozen significant diamond and jewelry robberies have occurred in the Houston area this year. The source requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their company.
No information was provided regarding the Houston suspect robbers. However, the FBI noted that Houston is one of several cities in the U.S. that serve as a base for organize crime groups that originate in South America and specialize in gem and jewelry theft. Other U.S. cities home to South American groups specializing in gem theft include Atlanta, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The FBI also lists Houston, along with Los Angeles, Miami and New York, as one of the most popular U.S. cities for criminals fencing stolen jewelry, with some jewelers willing to buy stolen goods from organized criminals at heavily discounted prices and then re-selling the goods at a sizable profit to legitimate buyers.
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Tags:
diamond dealer, gang, houston, organized crime, robbery, Ronen Shnidman, South American
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