Harold Ramirez Cagua, also known as “Gordo,” was sentenced on July 27 to 57 months in federal prison for his involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Ramirez Cagua and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls located in Connecticut and other states. They then transported stolen property or proceeds across state lines. Before the burglaries, co-conspirators surveilled targeted establishments by posing as legitimate customers to examine merchandise and assess security measures.
Ramirez Cagua served as the logistics operative for the crime ring by booking flights, securing rental cars, and reserving lodging for co-conspirators. During burglaries, he and others forced entry into closed businesses—sometimes by cutting holes through walls—and pried open locked display cases before removing merchandise. The group committed burglaries at multiple locations including Paterson (New Jersey), Mentor (Ohio), Fort Wayne (Indiana), Greece (New York), Milford (Connecticut), Lombard (Illinois), Hamilton Township (New Jersey), Henrico (Virginia), and Horseheads (New York). The total losses from these incidents exceed $4.4 million.
The investigation found that much of the stolen jewelry was sold to a store owner in Queens, New York, who then sold it further—including to buyers intending to melt down gold items. None of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement so far. Ramirez Cagua has been detained since July 18, 2024; he pleaded guilty on March 5, 2025, to interstate transportation of stolen property.
This case was investigated by a range of law enforcement agencies including FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with assistance from police departments across several states. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan thanked additional offices within Florida as well as FBI field offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance with this prosecution.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion—a partnership aimed at eliminating criminal cartels operating within or affecting U.S interests.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut serves all of Connecticut under the Department of Justice; it employs about 68 assistant attorneys alongside support staff members while prosecuting federal crimes within its jurisdiction, according to its official website.