The last member of a Colombian robbery crew in Miami pleaded guilty to targeting jewelry couriers in South Florida, according to the Department of Justice.
Miami Herald
After 10 members of a Colombian robbery crew in Miami were sentenced for stealing more than $5 million in high-end jewelry, the last remaining member pleaded guilty Thursday, according to the Department of Justice.
Leroy Ortega, also known as “El Enano” (“The Dwarf”), 43, of Miami, was the final person charged in Operation Boujee Bandits, a federal investigation into a group accused of targeting jewelry couriers in South Florida and other areas between September 2019 and July 2021.
Court records say Ortega and others followed jewelry salespeople after they left locations such as the International Jewelry Exchange and the Seybold Jewelry Building. Investigators said they used rental cars obtained with fake IDs to track people then stole jewelry and other valuables — sometimes threatening people with a knife-like weapon.
“This transnational theft crew came to the United States to steal from American businesses and preyed upon unsuspecting, hard-working citizens who were just trying to do their jobs as jewelry couriers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in a news release.
Ortega admitted to taking part in two robberies, prosecutors say. In one case on Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and others believed they were targeting a jewelry courier, but the victim was actually a professional photographer carrying camera equipment and a computer. After grabbing the case, Ortega and another man fled to their car. When the photographer tried to get the case back, Ortega reversed the vehicle, knocking the photographer to the ground and causing injuries.
In a second robbery on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and others stole about $125,000 worth of jewelry from a salesman in Miami Beach, feds say. Investigators said Ortega smashed the victim’s car windows while another person took a backpack containing the jewelry. Ortega also held the car door shut to keep the salesman trapped inside.
Ortega pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
On average, Ortega’s 10 colleagues were sentenced to a little more than seven years.
Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.