A man accused of two home invasions in South Florida was denied bond on Wednesday.
Jonathan Vermillion and two other suspects are accused of stealing about $130,000 in cash and jewelry from an elderly woman's home in Plantation, according to police.
In September, the victim opened her front door to one of the suspects, who was posed as a flower delivery man. She told police that she was pushed to the ground and bound at her wrists. The suspect allegedly entered her home wearing rubber gloves and carrying a handgun.
The victim gave them $30,000 in cash, but they still demanded that they be taken to the safe, which they appeared to already know about, police said.
Then in October, Vermillion and Anthony Roman were arrested by the Palm Beach Gardens Police after an attempted armed robbery.
The suspects arrived at the home driving a white van with a magnetic FedEx label attached to the side. Roman pushed a hand truck and cardboard box towards the front steps of the 64 year-old resident, the judge said in court. When the victim opened the door, the suspects allegedly threatened him with a firearm while stating that the victim lie on the floor.
A witness ran out of the front door of the home and Vermillion then "pistol whipped" the man before the two suspects fled the scene, according to police.
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Investigators later discovered that both robberies allegedly shared one thing in common: the same security installation company. An investigation later revealed that an employee of the security company was friends with one of the suspects, the judge said in court.
Allegedly, the employee provided one of the suspects with the address and specific information about the security of the home in Plantation. Authorities say that part of the deal involved the employee of the security company receiving $10,000 in payment for the information.
According to police, the same employee also gave the suspect the address and safe information for the Palm Beach home.
Vermillion currently remains in jail and his lawyers information could not be found.
