On April 5, Frank Lashvili (pictured), a jeweler from River Vale, N.J., was arrested and charged with two counts of fencing and two counts of receiving stolen property.
According to a news release from acting Bergen County prosecutor Dennis Calo, Lashvili was arrested as the result of an Oct. 22 burglary at Le Cristal Jewelry in Englewood, N.J. That burglary resulted in the loss of $275,000 in stolen items, the release said.
An investigation revealed that the burglary was committed by a robbery crew that targeted jewelers throughout the New York tristate area. Police subsequently arrested Kevin Lyde of Brooklyn, N.Y., who works as a spiritual rehabilitation advisor, for allegedly being a member of that crew, the statement said, noting that the other suspects are still at large.
The prosecutor’s office alleges that members of the burglary crew would regularly fence their items through Lashvili following their robberies. It did not provide further details.
The release said that “additional charges are expected to be filed in both New Jersey and New York” against Lashvili and the members of the robbery crew.
Based on the release, it is not clear where Lashvili works as a jeweler. A case from 2012 links him to a retail store in New York City. Neither Lashvili nor his attorney could be reached for comment.
Lyde and another suspect, Kevin Young, have been charged with grand larceny, first degree, a Class B felony, and third-degree burglary, which is a Class D felony, the Prosecutor’s Office says.
Members of the same crew allegedly committed a robbery in New Rochelle Coin, Stamp, and Jewelers in New Rochelle, N.Y. on Feb. 2. During that robbery, approximately $1,000,000 in jewelry was believed to have been stolen.
The release from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office can be seen here.
(Image courtesy of the Bergen County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office)
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