Police: Jewelry Heist Ring that Hit New Canaan Nabbed

The gang that robbed Henry C. Reid & Son Jewelers in downtown New Canaan has been nabbed and charged with other crimes in the Northeast, according to New Canaan police.

New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski issued the following news release (and below that is a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, followed by the text from the wanted poster for one defendant still at large):

On November 6, 2013, at approximately 4 p.m., a robbery occurred at Henry C. Reid & Son Jewelers located at 72 Elm St.

Four black males attempted to enter the jewelry store but were stopped when they could not open the front door because an alert employee had quickly locked the door.

One of the suspects shattered a front display window with a sledge hammer-type tool. The suspect reached in through the broken glass and took three  Rolex watches. The approximate value of the watches is $55,000.

All four suspects then fled on foot behind a row of business where it is believed that they fled in a Chevrolet Malibu, with tinted windows and NY registration plates. Blood and skin tissue evidence was recovered at the scene of the crime.

The subsequent investigation identified the following individuals as having committed this crime:

• Roberto Grant a/k/a “Roberto Cross” a/k/a “Berto”, 33

• Ralik Hansen a/k/a “Ralik Taylor,” a/k/a “Rahlik,” a/k/a “Rah,” a/k/a “Ratchet”, 28
  

• Ronald McIntyre a/k/a “Rondu”, 36

• Sean Robinson a/k/a “Sean Vicks,: a/k/a “Luca,” a/k/a “Luca Brasi”, 42 years of age

• Allen Williams, 35

Grant, McIntyre, Robinson and Williams have been federally indicted, arrested, and are in federal custody. [Editor's note: See table of names and charges amid the pictures attached to this article.]

Hansen has been federally indicted, is at large, and is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hansen should be considered armed and dangerous. See the attached wanted poster [also attached to this article].

U.S. Attorney's Office News Release

Four More Individuals Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Participating in a Multi-State Robbery Crew That Used Violence, Including Firearms, to Steal More Than $1 Million in Luxury Watches

Five of the defendants—Williams, Grant, Ratliff, Dehoyos, and Thompson—were previously arrested and detained pending trial.

Yesterday [Wednesday, April 23], Robinson was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, and McIntyre was transferred into federal custody, and both were arraigned before Judge Robert P. Patterson and detained pending trial. Hansen remains wanted by the FBI and is considered to be armed and dangerous.

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court documents previously filed in federal court and statements made in court yesterday:

Between approximately July 1, 2013 and January 30, 2014, a highly organized crew engaged in a series of violent robberies of high-end jewelry and watch stores located in four states; smashed display cases with hammers while customers and employees were in the stores; and stole more than one million dollars in luxury watches.

The crew used violence as necessary to carry out the scheme. For example, during one robbery in September 2013 in Brooklyn, New York, two of the robbers displayed handguns, and a store owner was shot when he attempted to prevent members of the crew from fleeing with their stolen watches.

In another robbery in August 2013 in Richmond, Virginia, the robbers used a handheld stun gun to subdue a female store employee before fleeing with more than a $100,000 in watches.

Among the stores robbed by the crew are Cartier in Manhattan, New York; the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Schwarzschild’s Jewelers in Richmond, Virginia; Martin Jewelers in Cranford, New Jersey; Henry Reid and Sons Jewelers in New Canaan, CT; and Litan Jewelers in Brooklyn, New York.

Mr. [Preet] Bharara [the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York] praised the investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.

He also thanked the police departments of Cranford, New Jersey; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Richmond, Virginia; and New Canaan, CT; the Manhattan and Brooklyn District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Union County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance in the investigation, which he noted is ongoing.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Griswold and Richard Cooper are in charge of the prosecution.

Text from Wanted Poster for Ralik Hansen