A Colombian immigrant remains a fugitive and is wanted for robbing an interstate traveling jeweler of jewelry in Texas, according to the FBI.
Tuesday United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson said four people have been sentenced to federal prison for the robbery, but Brayan Vargas remains at large.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of Vargas, 19, of Bogota, Colombia.
Tipsters remain anonymous by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org that leads to the location and arrest of Brayan Vargas. Tips can also be sent by text message. Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637).
Ivan Carvajal, 30, and Tito Vargas, 25, both of Houston, previously pled guilty and were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Lynn Hughes to 136 and 57 months, respectively.
Luis Flores, 22, of Houston, and Maria Guitierrez, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, had also entered a plea of guilty and were both previously sentenced to 60 months in prison.
On August 24, 2011, the offenders used several cars to follow a traveling jeweler from New York, who visited several jewelry stores to show his merchandise.
The next day, the five robbers waited for the jeweler when he came back to a location to retrieve his items. They met with others and followed him again from Houston to College Station in at least four cars. Eventually, in College Station, they robbed him of approximately $200,000 worth of jewelry at gunpoint.
Immediately after the robbery, Gutierrez and Carvajal were involved in a traffic accident, but fled and soon arrested for fleeing the scene of an accident.
Officers found broken glass in their car consistent with the recent broken window from the victim’s car, along with other evidence tying them to the robbery.
When Brayan Vargas and Tito Vargas were later arrested, agents located a large sum of U.S. currency, a diamond tester, and jewelry taken during the College Station robbery. They also discovered jewelry taken during a robbery in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Luis Flores was arrested for his role in the College Station robbery while serving time in the Texas Department of Corrections for an attempted theft of a jeweler that occurred on April 21, 2011.
At the time of the College Station robbery, he was out on bond on that charge.
Brayan Vargas, who was initially arrested on related state charges, had been released on bond on those charges, but fled. He is currently a fugitive for both the state warrant and the federal warrant for robbing a jeweler traveling in interstate commerce.
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