A ring of burglars who allegedly stole more than $4 million worth of jewelry, mostly from the homes of South Asians in more than two dozen communities, has been uncovered, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Four people, including two brothers, were charged April 18 after a nine-month investigation with 95 counts of unarmed burglary and daytime breaking and entering of a dwelling with intent to commit a felony.
Police said Friday that the gang burglarized homes in 25 communities across Massachusetts between July 21, 2018, and March 30.
The stolen jewelry included diamonds and other precious stones valued at $75,000 each, as well as gold bracelets, necklaces, earrings and cash, police said. On several occasions, the gang stole locked safes weighing hundreds of pounds with valuables inside.
“The defendants in this case were very sophisticated. They targeted victims based on their ethnicity and then gathered information about their targets to strike when families were not home,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement. “They were disciplined in hiding their identities, avoiding alarms and minimizing the use of mobile phones before, during and after breaks, and using Wi-Fi jammers.”
Lt. Col. Mark Cyr, commander of the Massachusetts State Police’s Homeland Security Division, said the ring of thieves stole “countless items of enormous monetary, emotional and cultural value from families across multiple states, and did so in violation of the integrity of their families.” Houses”.
“Such brazen criminal acts will not be tolerated in our communities,” he added. “This investigation underscores the commitment of our law enforcement partners to work together to disrupt complex criminal networks.”