Three men are facing federal charges for robbing a store in Lawrence, Massachusetts, of $500,000 worth of jewelry and precious metals last year.
A criminal complaint was unsealed Wednesday charging 26-year-old Eric Rosario, 26-year-old Rosnel Polanco and 29-year-old Robert Santana, all of Lawrence, with one count each of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Santana was arrested Wednesday, while Rosario and Polanco were previously arrested on related state charges and remain in custody. All three are expected to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not release the name of the store that was robbed, but NBC10 Boston covered the robbery in 2023 and spoke with the owner of the store, Elegante Fashion on Broadway. The owner said the entire robbery lasted about 15 minutes and was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras.
According to the charging documents, on Dec. 15, 2023, the three defendants entered a Lawrence jewelry store armed with guns. Numerous store employees were present at the time, and the defendants allegedly robbed them of their jewelry and cell phones. They then pointed guns at the employees’ heads and backs and brought them downstairs to the basement, where the offices and safes were located.
Once downstairs, the three men allegedly forced the owner of the store to open the safes containing jewelry and other precious metals. In all, they stole about $500,000 in jewelry and previous metals. A second safe could not be successfully opened.
The men then fled the scene in a rented Nissan Altima that was found burned in a field in Maine the following day.
The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.