Aristedes Duartez III, Armed Jewelry Store Robbery, NY, 2012

ALBANY, NY – Aristedes Duartez III, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, will spend the next 15 years behind bars for his role in a brutal armed robbery that terrorized a quiet Guilderland, New York jewelry store back in 2012. The sentence was handed down today, bringing a measure of closure to a case that shocked the community.

The heist, which targeted Frank Adams Jewelers on Western Avenue, unfolded around 8 p.m. on March 15, 2012. Duartez, along with three accomplices, stormed the store. While two saleswomen attended to Duartez and another robber feigning interest in the jewelry, a third man smashed a display case with a hammer and made off with 20 Rolex watches, totaling approximately $99,000 in stolen goods. A fourth man waited outside, ready to make a quick getaway.

But the robbery wasn’t just about the watches. It was a display of pure, unadulterated violence. Duartez, brandishing a handgun, jabbed one saleswoman repeatedly in the back and ribs, forcing her toward the store’s back room. Simultaneously, another robber violently shoved a 77-year-old saleswoman to the floor by her hair, then unleashed a stream of pepper spray into her face while she pleaded for mercy. Both women were then bound with zip-ties before the robbers fled.

“During a robbery of $99,000 worth of Rolex watches from a jewelry store, Duartez jabbed a saleswoman in the back and ribs with his handgun and one of his accomplices pepper-sprayed a 77-year-old saleswoman,” stated U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian. “Thanks to the outstanding, painstaking investigation of federal and local agencies in New York and Pennsylvania, Duartez will now spend many years in prison for this horrible crime.” The U.S. Attorney’s office promises to continue pursuing Duartez’s remaining accomplices.

Guilderland Police Chief Carol J. Lawlor highlighted the relentless dedication of her investigators, one of whom “worked untold hours in his off-duty time,” and the crucial assistance of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Only through the diligence of our investigators…was Aristades Duartez III arrested and sentenced today,” Lawlor said. Andrew W. Vale, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the FBI, echoed the sentiment, praising the joint efforts of law enforcement that brought Duartez to justice.

Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy didn’t just hand down the 15-year prison sentence. Duartez will also serve 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and restitution will be determined at a later date. The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Sharpe, with vital assistance from the York Area Regional Police Department in Pennsylvania. While this sentencing provides some relief, the scars of this violent crime will likely remain with the victims and the town of Guilderland for years to come.