A Colombian national has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in a coordinated jewelry theft ring that targeted stores and kiosks in malls across the United States. Jorge Giovanni Escobar Gonzalez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, Escobar Gonzalez and several other Colombian nationals carried out burglaries at jewelry stores and kiosks from May 2023 through April 2024. The group would conduct surveillance before each burglary, with Escobar Gonzalez sometimes posing as a customer to examine merchandise and assess security measures. During the burglaries, he often participated directly in breaking into stores and display cases while others acted as lookouts.
The thefts occurred in multiple states, including New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, and Virginia. Specific incidents included burglaries in Paterson (NJ), Mentor (OH), Fort Wayne (IN), Greece (NY), Milford (CT), Lombard (IL), Hamilton Township (NJ), and Henrico (VA). The total losses from these crimes exceed $4.4 million.
Authorities report that members of the conspiracy also scouted additional locations in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware. None of the stolen jewelry has been recovered.
Escobar Gonzalez pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025 to interstate transportation of stolen property. He has been detained since his arrest on May 19, 2024 in Florida on unrelated state charges connected to another jewelry burglary.
The investigation was led by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with assistance from various local police departments across several states. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan expressed appreciation for support from other agencies: “U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.”