Queens Jeweler Convicted In Luxurious Observe Theft And Revenue Laundering Scheme | USAO-SDNY

Damian Williams, the United States Lawyer for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a responsible verdict now versus STANISLAV YAKUBOV, a/k/a “Steve,” on a few counts in a Superseding Indictment, which includes one particular depend of revenue laundering conspiracy and two counts of building untrue statements to federal legislation enforcement agents.  YAKUBOV is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2023, by U.S. District Decide Edgardo Ramos, who presided in excess of the eight-day trial.     

U.S. Legal professional Damian Williams reported: “Stanislav Yakubov agreed to order hundreds of hundreds of dollars’ well worth of diamond-encrusted, stolen luxury watches that had been taken for the duration of violent robberies, the victims of which provided jewelers from Yakubov’s have community.  Yakubov’s steps fueled a year-long robbery spree that focused nearly a dozen victims, and his conviction sends a information to the neighborhood that the purchase and laundering of stolen property will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”

Pictures of some of the stolen watches are set forth down below.  If you believe that you know the whereabouts of any of these watches, make sure you speak to the U.S. Attorney’s Business for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900, and reference this circumstance:

In accordance to the Superseding Indictment and the proof introduced at demo:

From at minimum in or about October 2019 up to and which includes November 2020, STANISLAV YAKUBOV, and other folks recognized and unknown, agreed to acquire stolen watches really worth up to hundreds of thousands of bucks, each that had been taken throughout armed robberies.  The watches owned by victims specific in the robberies bundled diamond-encrusted Richard Mille, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe watches owned by jewelers as section of the jewelers’ businesses dependent in Manhattan’s Diamond District and elsewhere.  

The robberies and tried robberies bundled the next: 

1. On October 3, 2019, a jeweler in Extended Island City, New York, was robbed of, between other things, a Richard Mille watch worth over $150,000.
2. On October 25, 2019, a jeweler in Jamaica, New York, was robbed of, among the other points, a Rolex look at truly worth more than $118,000.
3. On December 10, 2019, a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, was robbed of, amongst other points, a Patek Philippe observe truly worth around $160,000 and a diamond necklace worthy of over $77,000. 
4. On January 14, 2020, a jeweler in Rego Park, New York, was robbed of, amongst other factors, a Richard Mille check out value around $500,000.
5. On February 16, 2020, a jeweler in Jamaica Estates, New York, was robbed of, amongst other issues, an Audemars Piguet look at well worth in excess of $28,000.
6. On February 20, 2020, an particular person in Long Island City, New York, was robbed of, among other factors, an Audemars Piguet enjoy worth about $125,000.
7. On June 11, 2020, a jeweler in Brooklyn, New York, was robbed of, among the other points, a Richard Mille look at worthy of above $148,000. 
8. On July 6, 2020, a jeweler in Hoboken, New Jersey, was robbed of, among the other points, a Richard Mille view well worth in excess of $81,000. 
9. On July 20, 2020, a jeweler in Queens, New York, was the victim of an tried robbery involving a Richard Mille check out worth over $180,000.
10. On August 2, 2020, a food critic/social media influencer was robbed of, among the other items, a Richard Mille watch really worth more than $250,000 in the vicinity of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 

In addition, on or about Oct 20, 2020, and March 24, 2021, YAKUBOV knowingly and willfully designed untrue statements to federal law enforcement officers investigating the theft spree.  YAKUBOV falsely claimed, among the other things, that he in no way obtained any watches from the robbery crew and that the robbers were being basically clients who had procured jewelry from YAKUBOV in the previous.

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YAKUBOV, 42, of Queens, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to dedicate revenue laundering, which carries a highest prison expression of 20 many years, and two counts of producing untrue statements to federal law enforcement brokers, each and every of which carry a utmost jail expression of five yrs.

The greatest opportunity sentences in this circumstance are approved by Congress and are offered below for informational needs only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be established by the decide.

Mr. Williams praised the exceptional investigative do the job of the Special Brokers of the U.S. Attorney’s Business for the Southern District of New York and the New York Metropolis Law enforcement Division.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Bergen County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Place of work, the Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Police Office, the Weehawken, New Jersey, Police Section, and the Nassau County Police Office for their guidance.

This situation is staying dealt with by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Device.  Assistant U.S. Lawyers Mathew Andrews, Andrew K. Chan, and Thomas John Wright, with the help of Paralegal Specialist Grayson Glogoff, are in charge of the prosecution.