The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.
Member of Gang That Targeted Traveling Salespeople in Texas Sentenced
Robert Riveros got 22 years behind bars after pleading guilty to robbery and weapons charges.
Dallas—One member of a five-person gang that was targeting traveling jewelry salespeople in Texas a few years ago was sentenced in federal court last week.
U.S. District Judge David Godbey sentenced 35-year-old Robert Riveros to 22 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to robbery and firearms charges.
According to the superseding indictment in the case, filed in October 2016, Riveros and four other Colombians discussed and planned the robberies of three traveling jewelry salespeople.
The robberies took place in April and June of 2016 in Garland, Arlington and Euless, Texas.
In the Euless robbery, the salesman, 42-year-old Muhammed Shaikh, lost his life.
According to the indictment, Shaikh was in the convenience store of a gas station near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport when Riveros and three of the other suspects—Johnnattan Ramirez, Pedro Louis Alvarez and Eslevy Vargas-Avila—smashed in his rental car’s back window with a gun, reached in and grabbed a case of jewelry.
Shaikh ran from the store and jumped into the window of Ramirez’s car in an attempt to retrieve the jewelry.
According to the indictment, Ramirez “drove his vehicle in a manner intended to dislodge [Shaikh],” striking other cars in the process, but ended up speeding away from the scene with the salesman half hanging out of the window.
The four robbers drove to an apartment complex in nearby Irving, Texas, where they beat and kicked Shaikh in order to keep the case of jewelry, which, the indictment states, “contributed to his death.”
Riveros pleaded guilty to: conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Two counts from the original indictment and two counts from the superseding indictment were dismissed as part of his plea deal.
Ramirez, Alvarez, and Vargas-Avila also faced robbery and weapons charges, as did the fifth suspect, Catherine Contreras-Beltran.
Ramirez, Vargas-Avila, and Contreras-Beltran were rounded up in Colombia between December 2016 and February 2017 and, like Riveros, extradited to the United States.
The FBI and the DFW International Airport Department of Public Safety arrested Alvarez in New York City in June 2016.
In September 2019, the first of the five suspects was sentenced, court records show.
Ramirez was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March, and Alvarez, who was sentenced in January, got 15 years. Alvarez’s sentence will run consecutively to any sentence imposed in a separate criminal case he is facing in Queens, New York, court records show.
Vargas-Avila is scheduled for sentencing next week, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said.
The Latest

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.


Interior designer Athena Calderone looked to decor from the 1920s and 1930s when crafting her first fine jewelry collection.

During a call about its full-year results, CEO Efraim Grinberg discussed how the company is approaching the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The free program provides educational content for jewelry salespeople and enthusiasts to learn or refresh their diamond knowledge.

The feedback will be used to prepare other jewelers for the challenges ahead, the organization said.

The online sessions are designed to teach jewelers to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to grow their business.

The opening marks the jewelry retailer’s first location in the Midwest.

The “United in Love” collection offers tangible mementos of hearts entwined with traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Robert Goodman Jewelers will hold a “Black Jewelry Designers and Makers” event on April 27.

The announcements follow a tumultuous start to 2025 for WJA, which saw a wave of resignations following controversial statements about DEI.

Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff answers questions about how the new taxes levied on countries like India and China will impact the industry.

Kenewendo, Botswana’s minster of minerals and energy, discusses closing the deal with De Beers and the work that was missed along the way.

The historic fancy vivid blue diamond set to headline Christie’s Geneva sale next month could sell for up to $50 million.

LVMH CFO Cécile Cabanis also discussed the effects of tariffs so far.

The organization has reelected Kalpesh Jhaveri as president.

An investigation found that the former managing director of Movado’s Dubai branch overstated and prematurely recorded sales.

The collection pays tribute to the Japanese philosophy of Ma, studying balance, stillness, and the interplay between presence and absence.

Mari Lou’s Fine Jewelry in Orland Park, a suburb of Chicago, is closing its doors.

GIA’s labs in Dubai and Hong Kong are now accepting larger diamonds in light of the “logistical challenges” presented by the new tariffs.

These earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels, featuring the same design as a pair worn by Princess Grace, are up for auction at Woolley & Wallis.

Two experts share how artificial intelligence tools can help retailers run a more efficient business.

Kentaro Nishimura, who has been with the pearl company since 1997, has been promoted to president and CEO of Mikimoto America.