Three men charged in attempted jewelry heist

BY KEITH EPPS

Two men who were picked up at the bus station in Fredericksburg on Tuesday got a ride, but not to a place they wanted to go.

The would-be bus travelers and a third man were placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail after a botched jewelry heist that occurred a short time earlier in Spotsylvania County.

According to Spotsylvania  Sheriff’s 1st Lt. James Konicki, three men entered Diamond and Designs in the 3500 block of Plank Road about 2 p.m.

Konicki said two of the men kept the store clerk occupied while the third man got into a showcase and took a diamond ring valued at $12,000.

The store owner saw what was happening and confronted the man with the ring. He got the ring back, and the three men ran out of the jewelry store as the owner called 911.

Two men  fled on foot and the third left in a pickup truck with Maryland tags. No weapon was displayed or mentioned during the incident, Konicki said, and no one was hurt.

Detective Earle Swift was in the area when the call was dispatched and saw one man getting out of the truck and walking toward another business.

Swift stopped the man, and the victim later identified him as one of the would-be robbers.

Fredericksburg police found the other two at the bus stop, and they also were identified by the victim.

Roy Hamilton, 54, Ondray Gwynn, 53, and Andre Oneal, 49, all of Baltimore, were charged with multiple offenses, including breaking and entering with the intent to commit larceny, attempted larceny and conspiracy.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404

kepps@freelancestar.com

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/newsdesk/2012/06/27/three-men-charged-in-attempted-jewelry-heist/