Boca Raton, Fort Pierce police help feds take down transnational jewelry robbery crew

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — A years-long investigation involving multiple South Florida law enforcement agencies — including Boca Raton and Fort Pierce police — has led to the final sentencing of a member of a transnational robbery crew responsible for millions in losses.

Federal officials announced Friday that Leroy Ortega, a 43-year-old Miami man also known as “el Enano,” was sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a string of violent robberies targeting jewelry couriers.

Authorities say Ortega was part of a Colombian-based theft group that operated across South Florida, following jewelry salespeople from major hubs like the Seybold Jewelry Building and International Jewelry Exchange before robbing them — sometimes using weapons to force compliance…

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