BRIDGEPORT MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO THE ARMED ROBBERY OF MULTIPLE JEWELRY STORES
Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHARLES KERTESZ, 37, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday, February 19, before Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery relating to his engaging in the armed robberies of four jewelry stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. KERTESZ’s guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Ellen Bree Burns, Senior United States District Judge, of the federal district court in New Haven.
According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, KERTESZ orchestrated and executed the armed robberies of Hannoush Jewelry in Natick, Massachusetts, on July 20, 2005; Lux Bond and Green Jewelry in South Windsor, Connecticut, on February 1, 2006; Betteridge Jewelers in Greenwich, Connecticut, on September 1, 2006, and Lux Bond and Green Jewelry in Glastonbury, Connecticut, on September 21, 2006.
On July 20, 2005, KERTESZ drove from Connecticut to Natick, Massachusetts, with Anthony Curral. Once in Natick, KERTESZ entered Hannoush Jewelry during business hours disguised in women’s clothing and wearing a wig, and proceeded to brandish a firearm and forcibly steal at gunpoint assorted jewelry, including diamond rings, with an estimated retail value of approximately $388,000. He then fled the store, further brandishing his weapon when confronted by a mall security guard. KERTESZ then fled the scene and returned to Connecticut, with Curral acting as the getaway driver.
On February 1, 2006, KERTESZ, again with Curral’s assistance, executed a plan to forcibly rob Lux Bond and Green Jewelry in South Windsor. During this robbery, KERTESZ entered the store during business hours disguised in women’s clothing and wearing a wig. As in the Hannoush robbery, in this instance KERTESZ also brandished a firearm and robbed the store at gunpoint, taking assorted jewelry, including diamond rings, valued at around $259,000, thereafter fleeing the scene with Curral serving as the getaway driver.
On September 1, 2006, KERTESZ, with the assistance of Eric Ortiz and another individual, forcibly robbed Betteridge Jewelers in Greenwich. On this occasion, the plan involved creating a diversion on Greenwich Avenue, where the store was located, so that KERTESZ could rob the store and escape without being apprehended by the law enforcement officers on patrol on Greenwich Avenue. Pursuant to the plan, Ortiz created the desired diversion by lighting fire to a sport utility vehicle (SUV) they had driven to a location on Greenwich Avenue just south of the Betteridge jewelry store. After lighting fire to the SUV, Ortiz and the other individual fled the scene in another vehicle. At about the same time as the SUV was set on fire, KERTESZ, entered Betteridge Jewelers wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a backpack. KERTESZ then brandished a firearm and proceeded to rob the jewelry store at gunpoint, forcibly taking jewelry, including diamond rings, with an estimated value of more than $4 million and stashing it in the backpack. KERTESZ then fled the store with the jewelry in his backpack and mounted a stolen motorcycle he had parked outside the store. At that moment, a Greenwich police officer confronted KERTESZ and ordered him to stop, but KERTESZ refused to obey the lawful command, mounted the running motorcycle and fled. In the course of fleeing the scene, KERTESZ dropped the backpack containing the stolen jewelry. As he was driving away from the scene, recklessly driving against traffic on Greenwich Avenue, KERTESZ was confronted by a citizen who attempted to stop him. KERTESZ struck the citizen and continued driving away.
On September 21, 2006, KERTESZ forcibly robbed Lux Bond and Green Jewelry in Glastonbury. In this instance, he entered the store during business hours wearing a motorcycle helmet and proceeded to brandish a weapon and steal assorted jewelry, including diamond rings valued at approximately $200,000. KERTESZ then fled the scene on a motorcycle.
Judge Burns has scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2008, at which time KERTESZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 80 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
Curral and Ortiz have pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery charges. Each awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney O’Connor commended the outstanding joint cooperative investigation by the FBI-New Haven Violent Crimes Safe Streets Task Force, and the members of local law enforcement agencies including the Greenwich, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Milford, Natick and Bridgeport Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Kaplan and Assistant United States Attorney Paul Murphy. |
