Oakland County Jewelry Shop Accused Of Selling Items Taken In Smash-And-Grabs: Reports

OAK PARK, MI — An Oak Park jewelry store is accused of buying jewelry that was stolen in smash-and-grabs and then reselling it in their shop, according to reports citing a criminal complaint.

Officials accused Maro Jewelers of acting as a "fence," which acts as the middleman between the thieves and customers. The thieves usually sell the stolen jewelry to the fence at a discounted price and then the fence resells it at a higher cost to customers who don't know the jewelry was stolen, according to the complaint.

Officials linked more than 30 smash-and-grab crimes in Michigan and other states to the jewelry shop between August 2019 and April 2021, according to the complaint.

Moreover, officials said many of the robberies involved people who live in Metro Detroit and were planned in the metro Detroit area, according to the complaint.

Investigators seized nearly $149,000 in stolen jewelry, including multiple items worth $10,000, as well as cash during a search in April 2021, according to the complaint.

Investigators said they have a receipt that shows the jewelry shop bought a diamond matching the description of one that was stolen from Kay Jewelers in Noblesville, Indiana, on Feb. 6, 2021, according to the complaint.

Maro Jewelers paid $2,420 for that diamond, though it's worth $7,799, according to the complaint.

Investigators said they have evidence that also shows other stolen jewelry, including a ring taken out of Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, was linked to Maro Jewelers at some point, according to the complaint.

Officials argue that Maro Jewelers should forfeit $172,380 because it was earned through money laundering and/or knowingly selling stolen goods, according to the complaint.