Headlines

Fake Police Rob NYC Jewelry Store

Their stated purpose was to inspect to store in case looters came.

Published

6 years ago

June 7, 2020

INSTORE Staff

Two men dressed as police officers robbed a jewelry store in New York City.

They entered Samaa K Jewelry on the Upper East Side and told the owner they needed to do an inspection, the New York Daily News reports. Supposedly that was in case looters showed up. Jewelry stores throughout the U.S. have been hit hard by looting, vandalism and burglary over the past week.

The men are alleged to have then bound the worker with zip ties before stealing a variety of merchandise, including rings, bracelets, earrings, watches and coins.

Neighbors heard the disturbance and notified police, who apprehended the suspects at a nearby subway station. They arrested Jose Rodriguez and Ishmael Igartua, both age 59.

Authorities found them with the merchandise and three handguns.

The two men are being charged at the federal level, the Daily News reports.

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."