Beverly Hills Hotel Thief Sentenced To Prison, To Pay $1.64M Restitution: DOJ

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — A Beverly Hills man was sentenced to over two years behind bars and ordered to pay $1.64 million in restitution after he stole designer clothing and jewelry from two guests at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel and then unloaded some of the goods in Florida, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Jobson Marangoni De Castro, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in Los Angeles to interstate transportation of stolen property in April. He was sentenced Thursday to two years and three months in federal prison, according to prosecutors.

De Castro stole six suitcases from two Brazilians who had traveled to Beverly Hills for a May 9 fashion event. Prosecutors said that included:

• A custom Flavia Vetorasso diamond necklace ($395,000)
• A Chopard L'Heure du Diamant watch ($89,400)
• A white emboridered silk jacquard Chanel dress ($14,900)
• Five black Tumi suitcases ($5,000)
• One silver Rimowa carryon bag ($1,000)

According to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Gary Wallace, De Castro traveled back and forth to the hotel several times on May 10 via Uber. Authorities obtained a search warrant for data about the Uber trips, which allowed them to match up GPS data, De Castro's profile picture and hotel surveillance footage to the theft.

Additionally, two AirTags that were inside one of the suitcases were found across the street from his Rodeo Drive apartment building, the U.S. Attorney's off claimed in court documents.

During one of De Castro's trips to the hotel, he obtained a key to the victims' hotel room by answering a hotel desk employee's security questions, authorities said.

When he entered the hotel room, he found one of the victim's asleep and quickly exited. He returned later in the evening, removing the suitcases from the room and was captured on security cameras brining them downstairs, according to the complaint.

The following week, the traveled to a jewelry store in Miami where he successfully sold some of the goods for $50,000, telling the store's owner that the jewelry belonged to his late mother, according to the complaint.

The victims told authorities they don't know De Castro, a Brazilian national with U.S. permanent residency who also goes by Jobs Marangoni and Brazil Jobs, according to the court complaint.