EditorsSep 16, 2025
Out & About: 7 Great Quotes From Converge in CarlsbadAt Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.
CrimeJul 31, 2017
5 Arrested in Attacks on Traveling Jewelry Salespeople
The attacks included the June 2016 armed robbery that resulted in the death of a traveling salesman near the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
Dallas--Five members of a South American gang have been arrested in a string of attacks on traveling jewelry salespeople that included the June 2016 armed robbery and murder of a traveling salesman near the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
According to the indictment in the case, the attacks took place between April and June 2016, all in the Dallas metro area. The Dallas-area incidences were among a number of attacks that took place around this time, prompting Jewelers Security Alliance President John J. Kennedy to issue a warning about the spike in off-premises crimes.
In the first incident on April 27, three of the five suspects approached a traveling diamond jewelry salesman as he was leaving a store in Garland, Texas, and robbed him at gunpoint, according to the indictment.
The second incident outlined in the indictment happened on June 2. All five suspects allegedly followed a traveling diamond and jewelry salesman to a gas station in Arlington, Texas, where he was robbed at gunpoint.
According to the indictment, the third incident took place June 9 at a gas station near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and was the robbery that ultimately resulted in the death of 42-year-old Muhammed Shaikh.
The five suspects allegedly had followed Shaikh from a store in Richardson, Texas, north of Dallas, to this gas station near the airport. When they saw him go into the gas station’s convenience store, one of the suspects broke a window on his rental vehicle with a handgun, grabbed a case of jewelry and put it in the getaway vehicle.
Shaikh saw what was happening, ran from the store and dove into the open window of the getaway car in an attempt to grab the case.
According to the indictment, the driver then started driving through the parking lot “in a manner intended to dislodge (Shaikh) from the vehicle,” striking several other cars before driving off with the salesman still partially inside the car.
The suspects allegedly drove to an apartment complex in Irving, Texas, where they removed Shaikh from the vehicle and beat him. He was later found unconscious and died at the hospital.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the five individuals arrested were Johnnattan Ramirez, 35; Pedro Louis Alvarez, 32; Robert Riveros, 25; Eslevy Vargas-Avila, 27; and Catherine Contreras-Beltran, 28.
U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas called the five an “extremely dangerous group of robbers” that are “part of a larger, organized
South American theft group that has targeted members of the jewelry industry across this nation for a number of years.”
All five face a total of five robbery and weapons charges each, while Ramirez, Alvarez and Riveros face additional charges for the April 27 armed robbery.
The robbery charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum penalty for the firearms charges is life in prison.
The charges were filed against the five in a superseding indictment back in October, but it took law enforcement officials time to track them all down.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Alvarez was arrested in June in New York City while the other four suspects were taken into custody in their native Colombia. The arrests began in December 2016 and finished July 19 with the arrest of the last suspect, Riveros.
Riveros, along with Contreras-Beltran, Vargas-Avila and Ramirez, are awaiting extradition to the United States.
Also last week, the FBI in Atlanta took two individuals into custody who were wanted in the April 18 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Conyers, Georgia.
According to the FBI Atlanta Field Office, 29-year-old Cephos Leyon “Jamal” White, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and 31-year-old Sandrika Denise Sears (aka Nubian Monae) of Decatur, were arrested last Wednesday by FBI agents and officers from the Conyers Police Department.
A federal criminal complaint alleges that back in April, the two entered the Kay Jewelers store on Dogwood Avenue in Conyers and robbed the store of more than $700,000 of merchandise at gunpoint.
All five face a total of five robbery and weapons charges each, while Ramirez, Alvarez and Riveros face additional charges for the April 27 armed robbery.
The robbery charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, while the maximum penalty for the firearms charges is life in prison.
The charges were filed against the five in a superseding indictment back in October, but it took law enforcement officials time to track them all down.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Alvarez was arrested in June in New York City while the other four suspects were taken into custody in their native Colombia. The arrests began in December 2016 and finished July 19 with the arrest of the last suspect, Riveros.
Riveros, along with Contreras-Beltran, Vargas-Avila and Ramirez, are awaiting extradition to the United States.
Also last week, the FBI in Atlanta took two individuals into custody who were wanted in the April 18 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Conyers, Georgia.
According to the FBI Atlanta Field Office, 29-year-old Cephos Leyon “Jamal” White, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and 31-year-old Sandrika Denise Sears (aka Nubian Monae) of Decatur, were arrested last Wednesday by FBI agents and officers from the Conyers Police Department.
A federal criminal complaint alleges that back in April, the two entered the Kay Jewelers store on Dogwood Avenue in Conyers and robbed the store of more than $700,000 of merchandise at gunpoint.
More on Crime
The Latest
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
SourcingSep 16, 2025
Natural Diamond Council Launches Retailer Accreditation ProgramBen Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
EditorsSep 15, 2025
Skipping the Necklace, Embracing Snakes: The Best Jewelry From the 2025 Emmy AwardsAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.
Weekly QuizSep 12, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe Waldorf Astoria New York’s grand reopening this past summer means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event.
SourcingSep 09, 2025
Anglo American to Merge With Canadian Copper Miner Anglo plans to merge with Teck Resources Ltd. to form Anglo Teck. The deal changes nothing about its plans to offload De Beers.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
‘The Mellon Blue’ to Return to Auction, This Time at Christie’s The 9.51-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, which set two world auction records at Sotheby’s in 2014, is estimated to fetch up to $30 million.
AuctionsSep 09, 2025
Phillips Names Dianne Batista Head of Jewels, New YorkThe industry veteran joins the auction house as it looks to solidify its footprint in the jewelry market.
MajorsSep 09, 2025
MJSA Education Foundation Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersThe nonprofit awarded four students pursuing a professional career in jewelry making and design with $2,250 each.
IndependentsSep 08, 2025
Take a Look Inside the New Korman Store in AustinThe Texas-based jeweler has also undergone a brand refresh, debuting a new website and logo.
MajorsSep 08, 2025
MJSA Is Officially Now Under JA’s UmbrellaThe two organizations have finalized and signed the affiliation agreement announced in May.
AuctionsSep 08, 2025
Sotheby’s To Auction ‘Exceptional’ Collection of JAR, Suzanne Belperron JewelsThe single-owner sale will headline Sotheby's inaugural jewelry auction at the Breuer building, its new global headquarters, this December.
Events & AwardsSep 08, 2025
27 Can’t-Miss Converge Sessions, Events From sunrise yoga to tariffs talks, these are some events to check out at the upcoming inaugural event.
