Four St. Thomas men were sentenced to federal prison on Thursday for their role in the 2014 armed robbery of Imperial Jewelers store on Main Street, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
Shaquim Fredericks, 20, Warkim J. Gabriel, 19, and Chefton C. Newton, 26, were sentenced to 108 months in prison, while co-conspirator Alvin M. Thomas was sentenced to 85 months behind bars.
The four men involved in the March, 2014 robbery of Imperial Jewelers in St. Thomas
A jury trial in District Court in July 2014 found Fredericks, Gabriel, Newton and Thomas guilty of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to a press release made available by the U.S. Department of Justice, evidence at the three-day trial revealed that at about 9:30 a.m. on March 15, 2014, Fredericks, Gabriel, Newton and Thomas, along with other conspirators, dressed in all black clothing, wearing ski masks and possessing at least three firearms, entered the store, pointed the handguns at employees and patrons, and proceeded to take several hundred pieces of jewelry with an overall value of $2 million.
The perpetrators jumped over counters, broke glass display cases, and placed the stolen jewelry in their backpacks. The patrons and employees were kept at bay by threats of violence. The men then fled to the Catherineberg area, where they were arrested. Some of the jewelry was recovered in close proximity to where the perpetrators were arrested shortly after the robbery, according to the Dept. of Justice. Three firearms were also recovered.
Separate from the prison term, all four perpetrators were sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment. The men were also ordered to pay restitution to Imperial Jewelry Store’s insurer.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Lake.
Tags: imperial jewelry store st thomas, robbery
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