HARTSDALE, N.Y. — Two men from Irvington, N.J., were arrested and charged in connection with a violent daytime robbery at a jewelry store in Hartsdale, where federal prosecutors say they made off with $1.7 million worth of luxury items after breaking in with sledgehammers.
Key Points
- Kevin Williams and Byron Wilson allegedly used a stolen Jeep and sledgehammers in the December 2024 robbery.
- Authorities tracked the suspects using GPS and cellphone data tied to the heist and other jewelry thefts.
- Photos recovered from a suspect’s phone showed the men posing with stacks of cash hours after the robbery.
Kevin Williams, 26, and Byron Wilson, 24, are facing federal charges of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy, each carrying up to two decades in prison if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Both men were taken into custody on March 25.
Investigators say the pair used a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee with a New Jersey plate to drive to the Hartsdale shopping plaza on Dec. 16. Around 11:07 a.m., they allegedly pulled up in front of the store, used sledgehammers to break in, and began smashing glass cases to grab high-value merchandise while customers and workers sought cover inside.
Prosecutors said the robbers stole jewelry, diamonds, and over 70 Rolex watches, loading the items into bags they had brought with them. The group then fled the scene and returned to New Jersey.
Phone location data linked both Williams and Wilson to the scene, showing travel from their shared Irvington residence to the jewelry store, then back to New Jersey. One phone later pinged near West 47th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, home to the Diamond District, and then returned to New Jersey the same afternoon.
Authorities also recovered photos from Wilson’s phone showing the suspects holding large amounts of cash, taken just hours after the robbery. The same phone had also been used to view online articles about the Hartsdale break-in, investigators said.
Law enforcement surveilled the pair’s residence multiple times before executing a search and making the arrests. No updates have been provided about two additional suspects believed to be involved in the case.