Sting Operation Nabs 15

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown (l.) and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly look over stolen jewelry recovered in Operation Goldmine. Fifteen people, the majority of whom are teenagers ranging from 16 to 19 years old, were arraigned last Friday on burglary, stolen property and other charges following a sting operation at a Jackson Heights jewelry store where the defendants allegedly sold hundreds of items stolen during home invasions and burglaries to undercover police officers posing as jewelers. Among the stolen items allegedly fenced were gold bracelets, earrings, rings, watches, pendants and necklaces worth more than $100,000. Three other individuals are presently being sought, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly announced.

The investigation leading to the arrests began in December 2005 when the New York Police Department Patrol Borough Queens North (PBQN) Anti-Crime Unit began conducting an investigation into the theft and fencing of stolen property in Queens County. As part of the investigation, undercover police officers, utilizing video and audio surveillance, operated a jewelry store in Jackson Heights in order to photograph and record individuals entering the location and selling jewelry and other personal property at a fraction of its value.

Brown noted that in one of the criminal complaints filed as a result of the investigation, on the afternoon of February 23, Tatiana Pineda, 16, and Julio Villareal, 17, entered the jewelry store and handed the contents of a bag containing 16 gold pieces of jewelry to an undercover police officer behind the counter and indicated that they wanted to sell the items. After examining the items, which included bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings, and weighing the gold, the undercover officer paid the defendants $430 for the items. A subsequent review of burglary reports determined that the items had been reported stolen the day before during two separate apartment break-ins at 41-26 73rd St. In both instances, the burglars apparently obtained entry to the residences through a window adjacent to the fire escape.

In a second case, Rodrigo Rubio, 16, allegedly entered the jewelry store just before noon on February 16, 2006, met with the store's owner and handed him approximately 100 pieces of jewelry that he wanted to sell. Twenty minutes later, Joshua Miranda, 19, also allegedly entered the store and engaged in conversation with Rubio as the store owner inspected the jewelry. Shortly thereafter, it is further alleged, an undercover police officer relieved the owner, completed the evaluation of the jewelry pieces and then paid Miranda $1,100 for the jewelry and indicated that he should come back for another $700 later in the day because he was short of cash.

During the transaction, it is alleged, the undercover officer observed Miranda giving Rubio $200. At about 1:30 p.m. that day, Miranda returned to the store and collected the remaining $700 from the undercover officer. Areview of burglary reports

determined that the items had been reported stolen on February 13 during an apartment break-in at 34-21 77th St. As in the previous case, access was apparently gained through a window adjacent to the fire escape.

District Attorney Brown added that, in some cases, the undercover officer working at the store would alert field teams operating outside the store to stop and identify those individuals selling potentially stolen jewelry for possible apprehension at a later time. In some instances, stolen items were recovered even before the owners knew that they had been the victims of burglaries.

The defendants are being held pending arraignment in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens on a variety of charges, including burglary in the second degree and grand larceny in the second degree, which are Class C felonies, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, grand larceny in the third degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, which are Class D felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison, and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree and petit larceny, which are Class A misdemeanors, each punishable by up to one year in jail.

It should be noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.