Another member of the group accused of robbing a Denver jewelry store at gunpoint in 2024 has been sentenced to federal prison, court records show.
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Jesus Lara del Toro, a 22-year-old Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, court records show. He also must pay more than $3.9 million in court-ordered restitution.
Lara del Toro is one of at least eight men charged in the June 2024 robbery of Joyeria El Ruby, a jewelry store on West 38th Avenue in Denver’s West Highland neighborhood.
The group is accused of entering the store, aiming guns at employees, striking employees with weapons and stealing nearly $4 million in gold and jewelry, officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The robbery was ordered by leaders of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to federal prosecutors.
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“The video surveillance of the jewelry store robbery was shocking in its violence, prompting an immediate action from local and federal partners,” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski said in a statement. “The crew that planned and carried out the robbery knew people would be inside, and they fully intended to terrorize anyone present during the robbery’s commission.”
Jean Torres-Roman and Newman Castillo Delgado previously pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in the same case. Torres-Ramon was sentenced to 235 months, or nearly 20 years in prison, and Castillo Delgado was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Both men were also ordered to pay $3.9 million in restitution.
Four other suspects in the robbery — Oswaldo Lozada-Solis, Derek Alexander Dun-Vargas, Briley Ballera-Farias and Keiber Jaen-Martinez — still have open cases for robbery and brandishing a weapon, court records show. Edwuimar Colina-Romero also faces felony charges for transporting and selling stolen goods after the robbery.
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