Crime & Safety

Beverly Hills Thief Pleads Guilty In Designer Hotel Heist Case: DOJ

Accused of stealing $1.8 million in designer goods from luxury hotel guests, a Beverly Hills man is facing up to 10 years in prison.

Federal authorities say this surveillance still shows Jobson Marangoni De Castro with six suitcases full of designer goods he stole from a Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel room.
Federal authorities say this surveillance still shows Jobson Marangoni De Castro with six suitcases full of designer goods he stole from a Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel room. (U.S. Attorney's Office)

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — A Beverly Hills man on Tuesday admitted to stealing high-end goods from luxury hotel guests in Beverly Hills and then traveling to Florida to sell the stolen designer items, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Jobson Marangoni De Castro, 37, pleaded guilty one count of interstate transportation of stolen property in federal court in Los Angeles Tuesday.

The charge comes with a maximum 10-year prison sentence. De Castro was previously ordered held without bond in September.

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Authorities claim De Castro stole six suitcases from two Brazilians who had traveled to Beverly Hills for a May 9 fashion event.

Here's a partial list of what federal authorities claim he stole:

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  • 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 office 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 claim.

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.

A hearing is scheduled for April 30 to determine the amount of losses connected to De Castro's crime. A sentencing hearing is expected to be scheduled in the following months, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

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