A Beverly Hills man accused of ripping off more than $1.8 million in jewelry, clothing and accessories from a couple staying at a luxury hotel in the city and then traveling to Florida to sell the stolen goods pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge.
Jobson Marangoni De Castro, 37, entered his plea to a single federal count of interstate transportation of stolen property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A trial date was tentatively set for Oct. 24 in Los Angeles federal court.
Federal prosecutors say De Castro tricked an employee of the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel into giving him a key to the couple's room, and -- while the guests were at dinner -- stole six of their suitcases. The bags contained jewelry, clothing and accessories worth more than $1.8 million, court papers indicated.
The couple -- residents of Brazil -- had flown to Los Angeles and checked into the Peninsula five days earlier to attend a fashion event, prosecutors said.
After the theft, De Castro traveled to Miami and, on May 17, messaged a buyer that he wanted to sell jewelry -- a diamond necklace and luxury watch -- and that he did not have papers for them because he had found them in a box belonging to his late mother, prosecutors allege.
The jewelry matched the description of belongings stolen from the Beverly Hills hotel room, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On May 18, the buyer wired De Castro $50,000 for the jewelry, which De Castro allegedly brought to the buyer's store in Miami.
The name De Castro provided to the buyer was "Jobs Marangoni," the same name he used for his Uber account, court papers allege.
If convicted, De Castro could face up to 10 years in federal prison.
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