Two members of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a June 2024 armed robbery at a Denver jewelry store, federal officials said on Thursday.
Jean Torres-Ramon, 22, and Newman Castillo Delgado, 23, pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm in connection with the heist at Joyeria El Ruby in Denver’s West Highland neighborhood. According to the Denver Post, the two men are part of a crew of at least seven individuals facing charges over the incident.
During the robbery, the group aimed guns at employees and beat them with weapons before fleeing with nearly $4 million in gold and jewelry. Federal prosecutors alleged in a separate indictment that Tren de Aragua leaders approved the crime to enrich the gang.
Security footage of the robbery shows the moment the gang members burst into the store and jumped the counters, forcing staff to flee.
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Florida Jeweler Detained With Millions in Counterfeit Luxury Jewelry
The owner of two Las Villas Jewelry stores in Miami and Hialeah in Florida was arrested Wednesday for selling counterfeit luxury jewelry. Investigators found counterfeit items from brands like Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, with a total retail value of over $1.8 million. Manuel DeJesus Beltran-Machado, 43, was detained after a brand investigator and law enforcement officers made a series of undercover purchases at the stores, according to a report by Miami’s NBC6. In one case, a deputy purchased a counterfeit Louis Vuitton ring and a counterfeit pair of Van Cleef & Arpels earrings with a total retail value of over $5,700 but paid about $350, the report said.
