Five Indicted in Meriden Kidnapping, Multi-Million Jewelry Heist Robbery

By Jason Vallee and Ron DeRosa.

The five men taken into custody in connection with a Meriden home invasion and Fairfield jewelry store robbery in April are now facing federal charges after an indictment returned 13-counts against each, the U.S. Department of Justice reported Friday.

Timothy Forbes, 31, William Davis, 25, and Jeffrey Houston, 26, all of Allentown, Penn., and defendants Christopher Gay, 27, of Bronx, N.Y., and Kasam Hennix, 39, of Easton, Penn. each received their indictment Thursday afternoon.

The men were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, four counts of kidnapping, one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery, two counts of interference with commerce through robbery, two counts of interference with commerce by threats and violence and three counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Davis, Houston, Gay and Hennix have each been detained since their arrests on May 22. Forbes was arrested on state charges earlier this month and remains in custody, officials said.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment of life on each of the kidnapping charges, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each of the interference with commerce charges, and a consecutive term of imprisonment of seven years on each charge of using a firearm during the crime.

According to the court affidavit, the five men were wearing masks and gloves when they broke into the apartment on April 11 around 9 p.m. Two of the suspects had handguns.

They bound the two jewelry store workers, and two other people in the apartment, using duct tape and covered their heads with pillowcases and jackets, court documents show. The suspects repeatedly spoke to the victims, one of them mentioning “they had been following the victims for months,” the documents said.

Recent Stories Regarding this Incident

• Meriden Police Investigating Home Invasion, Kidnapping
• Meriden Home Invasion, Kidnapping, Ends in $4 Million Heist from Fairfield Jewelry Store
• Police Recover Stolen BMW Used in Meriden Home Invasion, Jewelry Store Robbery
• Five Suspects in Meriden Kidnapping, Multi-Million Dollar Heist, Arrested

One of the suspects also told a victim that he “drove really fast.” Three of the perpetrators then forced the two jewelry store workers into a BMW belonging to one of the victims and drove them to the Lenox store.

They made off with jewelry, watches and loose diamonds valued between $4 and $5 million, after which they fled in the BMW, leaving the victims bound inside.

The jewelry store workers were then able to untie themselves and call 911.

Around the same time, the victims who were still bound in the Meriden apartment, were also able to call the police, officials said.

A number of state and local officials were able to track down the suspects using phone records that pinpointed calls in and around the incident.

Forbes was later tied to the case after being arrested in Pennsylvania on burglary charges, while the other four suspects were taken into custody on Wednesday. Officials found jewelry, high-end watches and roughly $60,000 in cash in Davis’ apartment, while police also discovered more jewelry, watches and $50,000 in cash in Gay’s Bronx hotel room. 

Make sure to like Meriden Patch on Facebook or follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!