DETROIT (WWJ) -- A Detroit man who had been on the run for more than four years has finally been caught.
Arthur Berry, a fugitive wanted since 2015 for his involvement in a string of jewelry store robberies across the country, appeared in federal court Tuesday. The 32-year-old was arrested in Arizona by the FBI's Phoenix Division on March 18 and was returned to Michigan earlier this week to face charges for conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery.
United States Attorney Matthew Schneider's office says Berry had allegedly been hiding out in Phoenix, where he fled in 2015 after being indicted by a federal grand jury earlier that year.
Berry was the leader of a group that carried out six robberies at different jewelry stores in six different states.
According to Schneider's office, the robberies included the following stores:
- September, 2014: Jared the Galleria of Jewelry in Toledo, Ohio
- October, 2014: Lux Bond & Green Jewelers in West Hartford, Connecticut
- November, 2014: Fink's Jewelers in Sterling, Virginia
- November, 2014: RF Moeller Jewelry in St. Paul, Minnesota
- February, 2015: Jared the Galleria of Jewelry in Erie, Pennsylvania
- September, 2015: Jared the Galleria of Jewelry in Portage, Michigan
Nearly two dozen other subjects have been prosecuted since 2014 for their involvement in the string of robberies. Berry was the only remaining fugitive of the group. All of his co-defendants pled guilty and received various sentences, including a 14-year prison sentence for Cedarrius Frost, who Schenider's office says was one of the group's leaders.
"The arrest of Mr. Berry for his involvement in these robberies reflects the dedication, cooperation, and persistence of law enforcement at every level," said SAC Slater. "We are particularly grateful to the FBI's Phoenix Division for working diligently over the last few months to locate Mr. Berry and helping us to ensure he faces the consequences for his criminal behavior."
Berry is facing six counts of conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery. If convicted, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI Detroit Division's Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force was assisted by the FBI Phoenix Division's Desert Hawk Violent Crimes Task Force in the investigation.
