Three individuals have been sentenced for their roles in an attempted armed robbery involving an employee of JC Jewelers Inc., known as Oro Centro, which operated pawn shops and jewelry stores in Puerto Rico.
Court documents state that on July 13, 2015, around 6:50 p.m., an Oro Centro Pawn Shops employee was transporting gold in a company van for delivery to the continental United States. While driving on Highway 22 near the Luis Muñoz Rivera exit in Santurce, Puerto Rico, close to the Minillas Tunnel, a white car collided with the van. The occupants of the car began shooting at the employee, who was hit multiple times but returned fire and injured one of the assailants. The attackers fled without taking any property.
The three individuals involved were Josué Pilarte-Suárez, Luis Resto-Cruz, and Rafael Hernández-Maldonado. Pilarte-Suárez was arrested on July 17, 2015, pleaded guilty on June 20, 2017, and was sentenced on May 19, 2025; he served about nine years in prison. Resto-Cruz was arrested on October 19, 2018, pleaded guilty on December 1, 2025, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026; he served roughly eight and a half years. Hernández-Maldonado was arrested on December 14, 2021, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, and received a sentence of seven and a half years (78 months) in prison on March 6, 2026.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan announced these developments.
"The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department."
"Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case."
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico is responsible for handling federal crimes such as civil rights violations and public corruption within Puerto Rico. The office also pursues criminal prosecutions and civil litigation while providing mechanisms for reporting crimes to promote public safety throughout the district.
W. Stephen Muldrow serves as United States Attorney for this office according to official sources. The office operates across all federal law enforcement efforts in Puerto Rico and addresses issues including drug trafficking.
