Robbery Crew Used Apple Watch To Pull Ruse And Steal $500K, Feds Say
Image via ID 131366652 © Prykhodov | Dreamstime.com
A robbery crew originally from New York had gotten its hands on a windfall of US$500,000 in cash after targeting a drug runner late last year.
Recently, federal prosecutors revealed the group used an Apple Watch to track the target, by placing the device under the bumper of the drug runner’s car. The seven-member gang then tailed the man from Orange County to a hotel parking lot in Hartford, Connecticut.
According to the New York Post, upon locating the car, the crew smashed its back window while looking for the cash, but found nothing. An overnight stake on the vehicle also proved futile.
The next day, the crew spotted the victim and beat him up. The members then stole his phone, wallet, and a key to the hotel room—where the US$500,000 was hidden.
“All of this information is supported by detailed cellsite location data, including [from] his Apple Watch and the phones of the defendant,” said prosecutors.
Following the ambush, the robbers headed back to New York, where members divided “profits” and even posed for photographs in front of the cash. Police eventually caught up to them, and they were indicted in July 2020 for the robbery, along with a string of other offences.
While it isn’t clear if this is the first time an Apple Watch has been used in a major crime, tracking devices such as AirTags and Tiles are likely to come into play more frequently with tech-savvy criminals.
[via New York Post, cover image via ID 131366652 © Prykhodov | Dreamstime.com]
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