Serial robber accused in multi-state spree pleads responsible to $136K holdup of Henrico jewellery retailer | Crime Information

One in all two serial robbers accused in a multistate armed theft spree final 12 months pleaded responsible Friday to preserving up Victoria Jewelers in Henrico County and taking $136,245 in jewellery, gold bars, cash and money at gunpoint.

“Get the entire gold!” Rickley J. Senning commanded his companion, Jesann L. Willis, throughout the Nov. 19 theft, in line with a federal prison criticism.

“OK,” answered Willis, who requested her spouse what else she had to take earlier than putting off dozens of things from retailer showcases. The loot incorporated 36 pairs of diamond rings, 117 further rings, 220 gold bracelets, 42 pairs of gold hoops and center earrings, 5 gold bars, 5 gold cash, 28 chains, 262 charms and $5,100 in money.

The couple then fled in a stolen Honda CR-V with Florida tags.

After their Dec. 2 arrest in Washington, D.C., the pair confessed to the Victoria Jewelers heist and different crimes at the East Coast. They have been implicated in 8 further armed holdups in Maryland and Pennsylvania between Oct. 12 and Dec. 2, together with robberies of an Essex Financial institution in Rockville, Md.; a PNC Financial institution in Potomac, Md.; and a M&T Financial institution in Frederick, Md. The ones 3 holdups netted the defendants greater than $18,000, federal prosecutors stated in court docket papers.

The couple additionally face housebreaking, robbery and prison mischief fees in Flagler Seashore, Fla.

On Friday in U.S. District Courtroom in Richmond, Willis, 35, of Gaithersburg, Md., pleaded responsible to theft affecting trade within the holdup of Victoria Jewelers at 8191 Brook Street in Henrico. In trade for her pleas, the U.S. Lawyer’s Place of job agreed to not prosecute her for the 8 different robberies. Pass judgement on John A. Gibney Jr. convicted Willis after accepting her pleas and set sentencing for Oct. 19.

Senning used to be indicted in March via a federal grand jury on fees of conspiring to dedicate theft, theft affecting trade and the usage of a firearm in against the law of violence. He’s set to seem July 21 in U.S. District Courtroom in Richmond.

In keeping with the federal government’s remark of information, Senning and Willis first entered the industry on Nov. 8 and sought to promote the landlord/supervisor 3 items of knickknack for $1,000, however that they had no id with them. The landlord recommended that state legislation prohibited him from purchasing the jewellery with out id.

The pair then left and traveled to Ohio, the place Senning allegedly got a Ruger semiautomatic pistol with a laser sight from a pal of Willis.

The defendants returned to Victoria Jewelers 11 days later. After the landlord greeted the pair on the entrance counter, Senning yelled, “I’ve my ID this time!” earlier than pulling the pistol he got in Ohio. As Senning pointed the gun at once on the proprietor’s face, the landlord’s son attempted to flee. Senning then hopped over-the-counter and grabbed the son, in line with the federal government’s abstract of proof.

Whilst robbing the shop, Senning recommended the landlord that he knew the place he lived and would kill him if important. After taking the jewellery, gold and money, the pair returned to the Honda and Willis drove from the scene.

Senning and Willis then traveled to more than a few pawn retail outlets in more than one states and bought quite a few the stolen pieces earlier than returning to Maryland, the place the pair dedicated further holdups, prosecutors stated.

After receiving details about the Dec. 2 robberies of the M&T Financial institution and PNC Financial institution in Maryland, legislation enforcement in Washington, D.C., started in search of the stolen Honda, and officials positioned it that night. Willis used to be using the automobile when it used to be stopped, and Senning used to be armed with the Ruger pistol. Right through a later seek of the automobile, police recovered a few of jewellery taken from Victoria Jewelers.

Henrico detectives related the couple to the jewellery retailer theft via fingerprints, phone information and Fb postings.

A latent fingerprint and palm print recovered via forensic detectives on the retailer have been matched to Senning, and a telephone quantity from an individual who referred to as the shop about half-hour earlier than the theft used to be related to a relative of Willis.

Police then checked that individual’s Fb account and located pictures of Willis dressed in a black wrist brace on her proper hand, which matched the wrist brace of the feminine suspect proven in retailer surveillance pictures throughout the holdup.