On April 6, federal authorities in New York indicted Stanislav “Steve” Yakubov, a jeweler who works at a store in the Jamaica Colosseum Mall in Queens, N.Y., for allegedly acting as a fence for a robbery crew in the New York City area.
He has been charged with one count of money laundering.
The crew in question allegedly robbed several jewelers (both inside and outside the Diamond District) and one social media influencer of items ranging from Richard Mille and Patek Philippe watches to a diamond necklace worth $77,000, according to federal agents.
An affidavit signed by an FBI special agent said that Yakubov was identified by a coconspirator involved in the robberies. His store supervisor told the agents that Yakubov was not authorized to make any jewelry purchases, the affidavit said.
A subsequent cell phone search found that two people had texted Yakubov, trying to sell the items, the agent alleged. Yakubov told federal agents he had not bought any of the items in question, the agent said.
Yakubov’s attorney could not be reached for comment, but he told the New York Post that Yakubov was out of the country during the alleged meetings with the thieves. He also noted that Yakubov had been the subject of a “vicious robbery” in 2017.
The news was first reported in the New York Post.
Photo: Getty Images
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