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Two Men Wanted in String of Antique Jewelry Thefts
The pair have hit antique malls and shops in six states, the Jewelers Security Alliance said.
Two shots of the sunglasses-wearing suspect captured by security cameras in Decatur, Illinois. This man and an accomplice are wanted in a string of jewelry thefts at antique malls in six states.
New York--The Jewelers Security Alliance has issued an alert about a pair of men wanted in a string of jewelry thefts at antique malls and shops in the Northeast and Midwest.
JSA Vice President Scott Guginsky said between early March and early May, there have been 14 victims from 11 different malls and shops in six states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa.
The men are entering the locations with jewelry theft “on their mind,” hitting only the booths belonging to those selling antique and estate jewelry, he said, and taking advantage of outdated locks and the fact that many of these antique malls don’t the same level of security as a traditional jewelry store.
Guginsky said the pair pick locks using a master key or remove the locks entirely.
In some cases, one man will distract the booth’s owner while his accomplice picks the lock, while in others, the pair will wait until the owner has walked away from her or his booth for a few minutes to pull off the jewelry theft.
The suspects, pictured above, are described as white males, one in this early 50s with a tattoo of a web on his left hand, and the other in his mid-30s. The younger of the two suspects wears sunglasses during the thefts.
Federal agencies are assisting in the investigation. It is unknown at this time if the two are working as members of a larger jewelry theft crew.
Guginsky advises antique jewelry dealers to have a locksmith change the locks on their showcases so they can be opened only with an independent key.
They also can put an alarm on their cases so if they’re away from their booth and someone opens the case, they will be alerted.
Antique jewelry dealers should take pictures of their goods so they can be easily identified if they are stolen, and those who sell in antique malls should push mall owners to update their security camera systems, he said.
Anyone with information in these cases is asked to contact the Jewelers Security Alliance at 1-800-537-0067 or jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org.
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