Six people are facing federal charges after stealing Rolex watches worth $250,000 from the Lux Bond & Green store in West Hartford, and authorities have linked them to a group of thieves behind jewelry store heists in at least five other states.
Michigan residents Ernie Thomas Evans, 25, Darrick Adams, 29, Brandon Mayes, 20, Bria Jackson, 22, Shaquita Wyatt, 24, and Bria Stanford, 21, were arrested Thursday.
Police said they smashed display cases and stole $250,000 in Rolex watches from the Lux Bond & Green store at 46 LaSalle Road in West Hartford on Oct. 8 of last year.
According to West Hartford police, the suspects returned to Michigan with the stolen merchandise and sold it on the black market.
All six have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and will be prosecuted in federal court in Michigan.
According to the FBI, the group is tied to a network of thieves – all Michigan residents in their 20s – believed to have carried out similar robberies in New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi and Nebraska.
Group members traveled across the country, entered jewelry stores during business hours and used sledge hammers to smash glass cases, according to the FBI. They stole Rolex watches and escaped in getaway cars that brought them back to Michigan.
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The FBI said Thursday's arrests come as part of an investigation into 40 smash-and-grab robberies that occurred around the country in 2014.
A $45,000 reward is being offered in exchange for information leading to the arrests of the other 11 robbers who have been identified by name.
