ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Colombian woman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for her role in a nationwide jewelry theft ring that struck stores in multiple states, including Greece.
Federal prosecutors said 41-year-old Yesenia Melendez Rincon, a Colombian citizen who most recently lived in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced Wednesday by a judge in Connecticut.
Court documents show that from May 2023 through April 2024, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized mall-based jewelry stores and kiosks across the country, stealing more than $4.4 million worth of jewelry.
One of those burglaries happened on Sept. 20, 2023, at a store in Greece, where investigators said the crew made off with a significant amount of jewelry. The group also targeted stores