Armed Jewelry Thief Charged in Interstate Heist

Armed Jewelry Thief Charged in Interstate Heist

A 24-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence in connection with a string of armed robberies at jewelry stores across six states, including Florida.

Abigail Lee Kemp, of Smyrna, Georgia, was charged by criminal complaint on Friday with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. The alleged crime carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.

The complaint alleges that Kemp conspired with others to commit armed robberies of six jewelry stores between April 2015 and the present. The robberies took place in Panama City Beach, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

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.

Kemp is expected to make her initial appearance today in Judge Walker’s courtroom in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. Her 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.

The 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.

For more information, contact Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer, at (850) 216-3854 or amy.alexander@usdoj.gov.