MIAMI, Florida — A Miami man has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for his involvement in a transnational robbery crew targeting jewelry couriers, resulting in losses exceeding $5 million.
Leroy Ortega, also known as “el Enano,” a 43-year-old from Miami, was the last of 11 defendants sentenced as part of Operation Boujee Bandits, an investigation into a Colombian theft group operating in the Southern District of Florida. The operation led to three indictments and charges of robberies and money laundering from September 2019 to July 2021, according to a press release from the Justice Department.
Ortega was part of a group that forcefully took jewelry and other property from victims they believed were involved in the jewelry business throughout South Florida. The defendants used false identification to rent vehicles and follow jewelry salespersons from locations like the International Jewelry Exchanges and the Seybold Jewelry Building, stated the source…