Armed Jewelry Theft Suspect Charged in Florida

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Lewis Jones III, 35, of Atlanta, GA, was charged today by criminal complaint with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence.

The charges stem from the armed robberies of six jewelry stores in Panama City Beach, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. On Friday, January 8, 2016, Jones and Abigail Lee Kemp were arrested together in the Smyrna, Georgia, area.

According to the complaint, in each robbery, the robber or robbers displayed a handgun, ordered the employees to the back of the store, ordered them to lie face-down on the floor, and bound their hands behind their backs with zip ties. The robber or robbers then removed hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of jewelry from the jewelry display cases.

The punishment for the alleged crime is a maximum of 20 years in prison. Jones’ initial appearance is expected to take place tomorrow in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.

The next court appearance will take place at a date to be determined in the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida, in the Northern District of Florida.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn D. Risinger is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.