DETROIT – Charges are being pursued in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Roosevelt Dimitri Knight and Davion John Palazzola in connection with a string of jewelry store thefts.
According to court documents, on Nov. 12, Novi police responded to a report of a suspicious person at Jared, the Galleria of Jewelry, located at 27795 Novi Road. A man, who identified himself as "Demetrius," asked a sales associate what time the store closes. Demetrius was last seen by the associate entering the passenger side of what police believe to be a BMW X5 with tinted windows and no visible license plate.
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Later that day, surveillance footage from the Home Depot store located at 20300 Kelley Road in Harper Woods revealed a man law enforcement officials believe to be Knight exit the passenger side of what they believe was the same BMW X5. Knight and the driver of the BMW, thought by officials to be Anton Maurice Fuller-Ragland, entered the Home Depot and purchased mini sledgehammers.
Novi detectives said Knight was identified by a Jared associate in a police lineup on Jan. 25.
On Nov. 13, Novi police responded to a robbery at the Jared jewelry store on Novi Road. Sledgehammers, consistent with those purchased at Home Depot, were used to break the glass on display cases. It's estimated that the culprits escaped with approximately $169,099 worth of stolen merchandise.
Sales associates reported that a suspicious man entered the store minutes before the burglary. The man identified himself as "Demetrius Knight" and inquired about assorted jewelry. He was on the phone the entire time he was inside the store.
On Jan. 4, a man, later identified as Palazzola in a police lineup, entered a Jared jewelry store in North Olmsted, Ohio. Court documents said Palazolla was on his phone the entire time he was inside the store. Five men entered the jewelry store immediately after Palazolla exited, and broke the glass on display cases with mini sledgehammers. It's estimated that the culprits escaped with $307,275 worth of stolen merchandise.
Court documents allege Palazzola and Knight had been casing the stores and then acted as a lookout during their respective burglaries.
On Jan. 5, stolen diamonds from Ohio were sold by Devon Vince Palazzola-Haney to Issa Jewlers on Ann Arbor Trail in Dearborn Heights. Associates from the store confirm the diamonds were purchased from Palazzola-Haney.
Surveillance footage from Issa Jewelers revealed that during the sale, Palazzola-Haney was accompanied by men authorities believe to be Knight and Palazzola. The three arrived in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Michigan license plate registered to Palazzola.
On Jan. 11, Portage police responded to a report of suspicious activity at the Jared jewelry store located at 6307 South Westnedge Ave. in Portage. According to authorities, Fuller-Ragland was inside a BMW X5 with tinted windows and no visible license plate and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of felony firearm possession.
The investigation identified Knight was inside the store, and Portage police were later told he arrived at the jewelry store in the BMW with Fuller-Ragland.