Seventeen individuals from the metro-Detroit area have been charged in a series of smash and grab robberies of jewelry stores across the United States, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Office, along with partners of the FBI Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force which include, Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office; Director Rebecca Adducci, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Detroit Field Office; Commander Monica Yesh, Michigan State Police; Chief Eric Hawkins, Southfield Police Department; Chief Geof Gaudard, Bloomfield Township Police Department; Acting Chief Jeff James, Waterford Police Department; Chief Corrigan O’Donahue, Royal Oak Police Department; Assistant Deputy Director Beverly Smith, Michigan Department of Corrections and other local police agencies.

Three separate federal indictments filed during the past month charge the defendants with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery of stores located in New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi, Nebraska and Connecticut.

These indictments follow a series of investigations nationally by various state, local and federal law enforcement agencies involving approximately 40 smash and grab robberies in 2014. In Michigan alone, between 2012 and 2014, approximately 25 smash and grab jewelry store robberies were committed. FBI agents and other state and local law enforcement officers continue to work collaboratively to identify and criminally charge all of the individuals responsible for these robberies.

According to the indictments, crews from the metro-Detroit area planned and executed six robberies. The crews traveled across the country to jewelry stores that sell Rolex watches and other jewelry. Several members of the crew entered the jewelry stores while they were open for business, smashed the Rolex display cases with sledge hammers and fled the store with Rolex watches, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The robbers escaped into waiting, stolen vehicles and returned to Michigan with the stolen watches.

The indicted defendants are:

• Elijah McKinney, 24, of Detroit
• Darius Ellis, 30, of Detroit
• Kordaryl Cross, 25, of Westland
• Latrina Williams, 38, of Detroit
• Lorenzo Daniel Terry, 21, of Detroit
• Anthony Jerome Browner, 24, of Farmington Hills
• DaJuan Cortez Marcellus, 24, of Detroit
• Brandon Phillip Wilkerson, 24, of Detroit
• Marquis Wade Cheatham, 24, of Detroit
• Darien Savon Thompson, 21, of Detroit
• Britnei Rodgers, 29, of Detroit
• Ernie Thomas Evans, 25, of Detroit
• Darrick Adams, 29, of Detroit
• Brandon Mayes, 20, of Detroit
• Bria Jackson, 22, of Shelby Township
• Bria Stanford, 21, of Belleville
• Shaquita Wyatt, 24, of Detroit

Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company and an industry consortium are offering a combined reward of up to $45,000 for information leading to the arrest of other individuals responsible for these robberies.