4 people indicted by federal grand jury for alleged role in Denver jewelry store armed robbery
A federal grand jury has indicted four people over their alleged roles in an armed robbery or sale of merchandise from a Denver jewelry store in June, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said on Wednesday.
Denver police said in June that eight people were being sought for a robbery at Joyerias El Ruby. Police say the alleged robbers took over $2 million worth of jewelry. At least some of them were armed with guns, security footage showed. A federal grand jury indictment made public on Wednesday accuses Oswaldo Lozada-Solis, 23, Jesus Daniel Lara Del Toro, 20, and Jean Franco Torres-Roman, 21, of taking part in the robbery, and Edwuimar Nazareth Colina-Romero, 18, of selling stolen goods. All four are Venezuelan nationals, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Few details were immediately available, but Lozada-Solis, Del Toro and Torres-Roman are facing charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Colina-Romero faces charges of transportation of stolen goods and sale or receipt of stolen goods. They were arrested in El Paso, Texas, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"The defendants did unlawfully take and obtain jewelry in the presence of an employee of Joyeria El Ruby against their will by means of actual and threatened physical force, violence, and fear of injury to any person, and did aid, abet, counsel, command, induce and procure the same," the indictment reads, in part.
Colina-Romero is accused, specifically, of taking jewelry she knew to be stolen to New Mexico to try to sell it.
The three who are accused of brandishing firearms face a minimum of 7 years and up to life in federal prison, if convicted. Colina-Romero could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Owners of the jewelry store declined to comment for this story but described their experience for previous stories from CBS News Colorado.
The Denver Police Department referred questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, a spokesperson for which declined to comment beyond the office's press release. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment.
Messages were left seeking comments from attorneys representing Lozada-Solis and Torres-Roman. Del Toro is being represented by a federal public defender.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Colina-Romero's Denver-based attorney declined to comment on the case.
