Eight members of an interstate burglary crew were charged for their roles in a conspiracy that targeted homeowners of Asian descent for residential burglaries, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.
According to federal officials, the following defendants are charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property:
- Rabine Armour of Easton, Pennsylvania
- Kevin Burton of Newark
- Kevin Jackson of Rahway
- Thomas Rodgers of Newark
- James Hurt of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania
- Sherman Glasco of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Randi Barr of Irvington
- Terrance Black of Irvington
Additionally, federal officials said Burton is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and conspiring with Keesha Davis, of Elizabeth, to tamper with evidence.
"As alleged in the complaint, these defendants were part of a sophisticated, multi-state burglary crew that targeted the homes of business owners of Asian descent, intending to steal the cash proceeds of their businesses as well as jewelry, foreign currency, and other property,” Acting U.S. Attorney Honig said.
“A comprehensive investigation led by our partners at the FBI and aided by the cooperation of local law enforcement revealed the links among over 50 residential burglaries and thereby uncovered this scheme. As a result of this careful investigative work, the defendants now face federal charges for their actions.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement officials identified eight members of an interstate burglary crew responsible for more than 50 home burglaries.
Armour, Burton, and Jackson were arrested in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and Barr was arrested in Hazlet, during burglaries in progress. Searches of Armour’s and Burton’s residences revealed tens of thousands of dollars in United States currency and currency from Asian countries, jewelry, family heirlooms, and other valuables that were previously reported stolen by victims.
While searching vehicles used in the commission of burglaries, law enforcement recovered notes containing the home addresses of individuals of Asian descent with derogatory descriptive terms to identify the ethnicity of the homeowners.
A subsequent investigation of the contents of communications obtained from Armour and Burton’s cellular telephones, in addition to location data associated with crew members’ phone numbers, led law enforcement to identify other conspirators, including Glasco, Hurt, Black, and Rodgers.
In comparing communications, location information, and recovered stolen property with known burglaries matching the methods employed by the burglary crew, law enforcement was able to associate these defendants with numerous residential burglaries of homes owned by individuals of Asian descent.
Law enforcement officials learned that unlawful entry into the homes was often made through unsecured second-floor windows; the victims’ cars were burglarized at their respective places of business in order to ascertain the homeowners’ addresses from the vehicles’ documents; makeshift trackers were placed on victims’ vehicles; the crew looked for indications of occupancy of homes by individuals of Asian descent; and once inside, the crew sought out cash, jewelry, and firearms.