A 38-year-old Southern California man has copped to a high-end heist, lifting nearly $2 million worth of luxury goods from a Beverly Hills hotel before getting nabbed trying to fence the finery in Florida, officials said. Jobson Marangoni De Castro confessed Tuesday to a single count of interstate transportation of stolen property following his swanky spree, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ABC News reported.
In a bold game of cat-and-mouse, De Castro executed the robbery last May on two Brazilian nationals who had come to the City of Angels for a fashion event, the federal prosecutors said. With six suitcases in tow, baring a fortune in jewels and designer duds, it would be these very guests from whom De Castro would pilfer, tricking a hotel worker into granting him access to their room, prosecutors say, as per information provided to WSVN.
The caper continued as De Castro, treasures in hand, hightailed it to Miami. There, he spun a tale on social media to lure in a prospective buyer, claiming the jewels were heirlooms discovered in his late mother's box. He had no documentation for his bounty, a story which, in its earnest attempt to deceive, nevertheless secured him a $50,000 wire transfer for a diamond necklace and luxury watch, according to investigators. The buyer, who ran a Miami store, was unaware of the pieces' hot provenance, which perfectly matched that of the items swiped from the Beverly Hills hoteliers.
Authorities put cuffs on De Castro after the high-value haul flagged him down, and he has been cooling his heels in federal lockup since August 2023. On April 30, the castigated con man is slated to show for an evidentiary hearing that will hammer out the total loss amount, followed by a later date which the court will set for his sentencing hearing, ABC News relayed. The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department conferred their investigative talents to reel in the rogue reseller.
