U.S. Marshals recently took a 24-year-old woman into custody on accusations of committing multiple jewelry store heists. Arrested in Georgia where most of the alleged robberies took place, authorities suspect that she might be connected to larger jewelry ring. She currently faces criminal charges for conspiring to interfere with commerce, along with one other individual.
Store surveillance cameras apparently show the young woman following the same strategies at the different locations she is believed to have robbed. After entering the store, authorities claim she would produce a firearm before tying up the employees. From there, videos appear to show an individual emptying display cases before running from the store.
While authorities have yet to explain his possible link to the robberies, the second individual arrested is also from Georgia. Both are suspected of possible involvement with a larger operation. This belief is based on officer’s conjecture that these two would have had to have some kind of connections in order to either sell stolen jewelry directly or to somehow get the items onto the market.
In total, over $4 million in jewelry is believed to have gone missing during the different robberies, although that estimate comes from the Jeweler Security Alliance and not from any officials involved in the investigation. Federal criminal charges involving alleged robberies at this scale often involve exceptional consequences upon conviction, and it can be understandably overwhelming to face such allegations. Still, whether charges come from the federal authorities or state prosecutors, each and every defendant has the right to defend him or herself under the full protection of the law.
Source: heavy.com, “Abigail Lee Kemp: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know“, Tom Cleary, Jan. 9, 2016
