The Rydges Hotel in central Auckland - the scene of the second robbery last May
International jewellery thief pleads guilty
2.9 k views | Posted January 30, 2012 |
By Aaron Weinman
A Colombian jewellery thief has pleaded guilty after stealing over $700,000 worth of jewellery in Auckland, New Zealand.
Jose Roberto Jimenez-Perez pleaded guilty to two robbery charges in the Auckland District Court last week. Jimenez-Perez was part of a group that stole NZD$770,000 (AUD$596,755) in jewellery from two jewellers last May.
Sydney-based jeweller John Wertheim, was sitting in his car with a bag of jewellery when two robbers smashed his window and nabbed the collection valued at $110,000.
Two weeks later, the group attacked and seized $660,000 in jewellery from two Hong Kong-based jewellers outside central Auckland’s Rydges Hotel.
As previously reported by Jeweller Jimenez-Perez was one of two men sought after by police in a two-week nationwide manhunt.
Jimenez-Perez along with co-accused Juan Leal-Casillas, both travelling on Mexican passports, were apprehended by Wellington police in June last year.
While Jimenez-Perez only pleaded guilty this week, the thief’s co-accused – Javier Espinosa Agreda, Cesar Orlando Romero and Leal-Casillas – all pleaded guilty in December to various counts of aggravated robbery, Fairfax Media reports.
After conducting one of New Zealand’s most audacious robberies, Jimenez-Perez will remain in custody until next month when he will be sentenced.
More reading:
Thieves arrested in $700,000 jewellery heist
Robber hits Brisbane-based jeweller