Seven Indicted In NJ Following Large Scale Jewelry Theft Scheme
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J., (CBS) -- Seven people from the New York City area have been indicted in New Jersey in a large scale jewelry theft scheme that spread into 5 other states.
Authorities called it "Operation Pandora", and the probe began along the New Jersey Turnpike at a Salem County rest stop in May of last year, with the theft of over $200,000 in silver beads from attendees of a trade show in Mount Laurel.
Investigators contend the group utilized a number of deceptive tactics, as opposed to strong-armed techniques.
"They'd grab things when no one was looking. They'd do something to distract the attention of a store clerk," says Elie Honig with the New Jersey Attorney General's office. "It's an unorthodox crew but they were highly successful until we caught up with them."
Their total alleged take? More than $800,000 in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Illinois.
Six of the suspects are identified and four are in custody. Honig is confident the other two will be rounded up, along with a woman known, for now, only as "Gisele".
