A traveling jewelry salesman was robbed outside of his Northern Virginia hotel, and the case has garnered much attention as news media sources analyze the trouble with keeping such traveling salesman safe in a world where theft rings have gotten more and more complex.
This particular jewelry salesman was checking out of his hotel when a vehicle blocked him in and robbed him at gun point. The masked gunmen made off with about $350,000 in jewelry. It virtually mirrors a similar robbery outside of a North Carolina Holiday Inn and one that happened outside of Newark Liberty International Airport.
According to the Washington Post, thieves working in a collective group search out these salesman, stalking jewelry stores for the well-dressed, case carrying traveler who comes and goes. Then they follow the salesman, slashing his tires or otherwise blocking him in before robbing him of his goods.
“In the last decade, there seems to be a trend toward more sophisticated criminal enterprises. It’s not a locally based crime problem anymore,” said FBI agent Eric Ives of the bureau’s major theft division.
The suspects in the northern Virginia case included eight men and women, members of a “South American theft group.” These individuals stand accused of at least 15 robberies and car break-ins, worth about $4.6 million. The vast majority of their alleged schemes occurred as the salesmen were leaving or arriving at their hotels.
Like people coming and going from their homes, jewelry salesmen are easier targets than those behind the counter in a jewelry store. They are more accessible and have less access to security alarms and similar prevention tools.
Officials say these crimes have gotten more and more violent, ending in beatings or other assaults. Though their numbers dropped from 2010 to 2011, law enforcement says they have become more complex and planned.
Even when a robbery results in far less than the hundreds-of-thousands of dollars recovered in cases like these, they still have the potential to be life changing and violent. To be accused of such a crime could be the beginning of several years behind bars.
Robbery is not classified like a regular theft under Virginia law. It is a violent crime committed against another person, not merely a “property crime.”
If you are accused of robbery, you need someone in your corner when you go before the judge. You need someone who is concerned with protecting your rights and working towards the best possible resolution on your case.
Contact our offices today to discuss the details of your case and how we might be able to help.