Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI"), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD"), announced the arrest of STANLEY ROGERS for conspiring to rob a Federal Express truck transporting diamonds from wholesale jewelry centers in the diamond district. ROGERS was arrested Monday in Brooklyn, New York, and was presented before Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Stanley Rogers concocted a potentially dangerous scheme to assault a FedEx truck driver with a tranquilizer and then steal the precious gems inside the truck. Thankfully his alleged scheme was foiled when he attempted to seek the assistance of an undercover police officer."
Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez, said “Through our New York City Airport Border Enforcement Security Task Force, HSI and its partners have been able to thwart what could have been a very dangerous situation involving a robbery attempt in broad daylight on the busy streets of this city. Allegedly looking to make off with diamonds and precious stones, Rogers’s plan to get rich quick put the lives of several people at risk. We are happy the jewels, and more importantly, the people of New York, remain safe."
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
ROGERS conspired to rob a Federal Express truck in Manhattan while the truck was transporting diamonds and other precious stones on behalf of various merchants in Manhattan’s diamond district. ROGERS planned to administer near-lethal dosages of a veterinary tranquilizer to the truck’s operator, and steal the truck and its contents.
ROGERS’s arrest came after he sought the assistance of an undercover NYPD detective to help him kill an associate he believed might reveal the details of the robbery.
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ROGERS, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
The charge in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Dominic Gentile is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
