A federal jury has convicted two men on robbery and weapons offenses for stealing expensive watches and jewelry at gunpoint from Razny Jewelers in Hinsdale.
After a six-day trial in federal court in Chicago, Tobias Diggs, 26, of Chicago, and Joshua McClellan, 31, of Oak Lawn, were convicted Oct. 22 of all counts against them, including conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, transportation of stolen goods, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
“We appreciate the work of U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office is securing convictions in this case,” Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King told The Hinsdalean. “Solving this brazen robbery and securing convictions was a priority for the police department. Hinsdale police officers spent countless hours tracking down leads, conducting interviews and collecting evidence in this case.
“We look forward to the capture and conviction of the third subject in this case, Marvon Hamberlin,” he added.
Hamberlin, 42, of Chicago, was indicted and is a fugitive. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. A fourth individual who allegedly participated in the robbery has not been identified.
Diggs and McClellan took more than $200,000 in merchandise from Razny the morning of March 27, 2017, including watches by luxury brands Frederique Constant, Patek Phillipe, and Tudor. The defendants later sold, attempted to sell, or disposed of some of the stolen items in the Chicago area and Atlanta, Ga., the U.S. Attorney’s release stated.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants planned in advance to rob Razny. On the day of the heist, McClellan drove the getaway car — a Lexus sport-utility vehicle — while Diggs and the others entered the store and pointed a gun at a female employee. After the unidentified robber tackled a store security guard, Diggs hit the female employee with the gun and dragged her by her hair to a back room, while he and the others gained accessed to the store’s safe and stole the jewelry, according to the release.
The conspiracy and robbery counts each carry maximum sentences of 20 years in prison, while transportation of stolen goods is punishable by up to 10 years. The firearm conviction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, as well as a minimum term of imprisonment of seven years, which must be served consecutively to the sentences imposed for the conspiracy, robbery and transportation of stolen goods convictions.
In addition to the U.S. attorney’s office, the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations worked on the case, along with the Oak Lawn Police Department and support from the FBI Chicago Field Office’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Felony Investigation Assistance Team, a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task force in the western suburbs.
“We appreciate the work of law enforcement partners and Homeland Security and the FIAT,” King said.
U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman did not immediately set sentencing dates.
