Massive Miami-Based Burglary Ring Busted

Eight arrested in six-state, multi-million jewelry heist ring: FDLE

Authorities say they've busted up a massive Miami-based burglary ring that raked in over $6 million in stolen jewelry in the past two years.

Eight South Floridians are facing charges in the crime ring, which targeted jewelry stores and pawn shops in six states, including Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Connecticut, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Wednesday.

The burglary crews would cut holes in the roofs of stores, disable alarms and surveillance systems and use torches to access safes, authorities said.

The arrests include: Jose Betancourt, 43, of Miami, Fla; Yenier Cardentey, 31, of Miami Gardens; Juan Collado-Miranda, 44, of Coral Gables; Juan Manresa-Leyva, 41, of Hollywood; Abelardo Pena-Cardentey, 33, of Fort Lauderdale; Maykel Roque, 27, of Miami Gardens; Tony Sanchez, 26, of Miami; and Yaubri Suarez, 30, of Hialeah.

Betancourt, Cardentey, Pena-Cardentey, Roque, Sanchez and Suarez are in custody in Florida. Collado-Miranda is in custody in Connecticut and Manresa-Leyva is in custody in West Virginia.

All were arrested between May 19 and May 24 and charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to the FDLE. Another man, 40-year-old Osvaldo Cruz, from Hialeah Gardens, is also wanted on racketeering charges, according to the FDLE.

Over a dozen law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation.

"The Office of Statewide Prosecution and FDLE worked on this investigation for nearly two years with law enforcement throughout the Eastern United States," stated Attorney General Pam Bondi in a written statement. "The large-scale cooperation among the various law enforcement agencies was a vast undertaking that will result in justice for the victims of these burglaries."

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