Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
Ringleader of Robbery Crew Gets 4 Years Behind Bars
Federico Santiago Quiroz Lucca led and organized heists that targeted traveling jewelry salespeople.
Santa Ana, Calif.—The ringleader of a robbery crew that targeted traveling jewelry salespeople and caused at least $835,00 in losses has been handed his prison sentence.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Federico Santiago Quiroz Lucca, 52, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $835,000 in restitution for his role in the jewelry heists.
He was sentenced Aug. 28 via video conference after pleading guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Between October 2017 and April 2019, authorities say Lucca and his co-conspirators surveilled and robbed, or planned to rob, multiple jewelry salespeople and bank customers in the Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and Denver areas.
Lucca led and organized the crew’s activities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, enlisting help from several Colombian nationals who traveled to L.A. to participate in the planning and robberies.
His apartment also served as a base of operations and meeting place where some co-conspirators lived and equipment and stolen goods were stored.
The crew’s heists followed a pattern, starting with a member known as a “scout” identifying a victim likely to be carrying jewelry or cash.
The victims typically were jewelers conducting business at retail stores or malls in Orange County, the Jewelry District in downtown L.A., or at trade shows.
The scout would then follow the victim and wait for an opportunity when they could rob them.
The group followed victims to gas stations and hotels and then employed a ruse—such as puncturing the salesperson’s car tires and then posing as a Good Samaritan offering to help them—or simply used force to rob them.
Lucca and four co-conspirators were arrested in early to mid-April 2019 and indicted later that month.
Three of the co-conspirators—Jose Manuel Lopez Molina, 48; Roberto Alonso Castellanos, 51; and Jose Oscar Cupitre Nuñez, 48—pleaded guilty to the same charge as Lucca: conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
Molina was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, which was time served, so he has been released, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told National Jeweler, while Castellanos was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $413,000 in restitution.
Nuñez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 26.
A fifth defendant, Roberto Melendez Falcon, 54, has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2021 in Santa Ana, California.
The Latest

The 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.

The West Village jewelry boutique’s new shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of Nordstrom’s revamped jewelry hall.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

This past year, the manufacturer said it recorded below-zero emissions per carat of natural diamond.


The brand’s “Golden Strada” statement necklace features round, marquise, and pear diamonds that sparkle like Fourth of July fireworks.

Located on Rodeo Drive, the store’s design was inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles culture.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

The new location continues the brand’s celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The online watch marketplace’s “Time Is Our Thing” campaign highlights the importance of time.

She will oversee strategic planning, fundraising, industry partnerships, and the launch of the Gem Legacy Campus in Tanzania.

The jewelry company has closed its three California brick-and-mortar stores, as well as its online shop, for now.

The company is providing the opportunity for an FIT student to work alongside master diamond cutter Willie Lopez in its workshop.

He is remembered for his successful entrepreneurship, generosity, and dedication to his family.

The jewelry store chain has reportedly been struggling with costs related to tariffs as well as tough retail competition.

Welcome warm summer days with red hot rubies perfectly chosen as July’s birthstone.

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.

The decline was consistent across age groups and almost all income groups, with tariffs and inflation still top of mind.