FBI may have solved Sandy jewelry heist

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Apr 25, 2008 | by Pat Reavy Deseret News

FBI agents may have solved a jewelry heist that happened in Sandy earlier this month.

Six men were arrested by Las Vegas Metro Police on April 18. Late Thursday, the FBI in Salt Lake City announced the men are "possibly believed to be responsible" for the robbery outside Johnny Carino's Country Italian restaurant, 10585 S. State, on April 16.

A jewelry broker was leaving the restaurant about 9 p.m. when four men wearing black hoodies and bandanas over their faces jumped him, according to police. The man was forced to the ground while the robbers opened the trunk of his car, removed a briefcase and took $150,000 in diamonds that were inside. The men slashed the tires on the man's vehicle before leaving.

At the time, investigators said they believed the thieves knew what they were looking for and did not find the diamonds out of "dumb luck."

The FBI released very few details about the Nevada arrests Thursday, saying it was an ongoing investigation and they were still determining whether federal charges were warranted. They did not say on what charges the men were arrested in Las Vegas. The FBI also had no comment on whether the men were being investigated for other jewelry store robberies in Utah and other parts of the country. Several jewelry robberies similar to the Sandy incident were reported in Utah County in recent months.

Sandy police said Thursday if the men in custody are the ones responsible, they are happy to have the case brought to a resolution and hope the diamonds will be returned at some point in the future.

E-mail: preavyk@desnews.com