Four linked to $1.5M burglary ring convicted
NORRISTOWN » Four men connected to a “sophisticated” burglary ring that targeted “high-end homes” in Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties were convicted of charges related to their roles in the conspiracy.
Kebbie Ramseur, 40, Jerrel Jaynes, 41, and Ralph Curtis Mayrant, 40, all of Philadelphia, and Shron Kareem Linder, 40, of Drexel Hill, were convicted of various burglary-related charges in connection with some or all of the 15 incidents that occurred between 2015 and 2016 and allegedly netted the men more than $1.5 million in stolen money, jewelry and designer purses.
“These are individuals who worked as at least a four-man team to commit burglaries of high-end homes throughout the Delaware Valley, ranging from Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Benjamin McKenna said at the conclusion of the court hearings.
“We believe that they were very sophisticated and quite good at committing burglaries. They conducted surveillance. They, at times, knew how to get around security cameras. They hit approximately a dozen homes,” added McKenna, who was assisted at trial by co-prosecutor Timothy Collier.
Ramseur, Jaynes and Linder opted for non-jury trials during which they stipulated to certain facts contained in an affidavit of probable cause and Judge Garrett D. Page convicted the men of the charges. Mayrant pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit burglary for his role in six of the burglaries.
The men face formal sentencing hearings at a later date.
Jaynes, of South 47th Street in Philadelphia, potentially faces 10 to 20 years in prison. Ramseur, of Kerper Street, Philadelphia, who was convicted of charges of corrupt organizations and conspiracy and attempt to commit burglary, potentially faces up to 15 to 30 years in state prison.
Mayrant, of Westford Road in Philadelphia and the 300 block of Norris Street in Chester, faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison. Linder, of the 300 block of Edmonds Avenue in Drexel Hill, who was convicted of corrupt organizations and conspiracy to commit burglary, faces a possible maximum sentence of nine to 18 years in state prison.
“The judge essentially found that he had agreed with his co-defendants to enter into people’s homes and remove items without their permission,” defense lawyer Matthew Quigg said on behalf of Linder. “After several days of pretrial motions there were some issues that we wanted to preserve for appeal which was the main reason for going forward with a stipulated bench trial.”
Prosecutors alleged the four burglars also worked with jeweler Wasim Shazad, 49, of Hannah Avenue in East Norriton, to fence some of the stolen jewelry at Shazad’s three storefronts located along Jewelers Row in Philadelphia. Shazad is still awaiting trial on charges of allegedly being part of a corrupt organization, dealing in proceeds of an unlawful activity, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
Shazad, who remains free on bail, has denied the charges.
The 15 charged burglaries included eight in Montgomery County, six in Delaware County and one in Chester County. The burglaries were committed between 2015 and July 2016. The victims of the burglaries suffered financial loss in excess of $1.5 million, prosecutors alleged.
Among the Main Line burglaries one occurred on April 19, 2016, at a home on Barberry Road in Villanova during which the culprits entered by smashing a sliding glass door. A large safe was forced from a wall that contained $237,000 worth of jewelry and cash, authorities alleged.
Another burglary in Lower Merion included a robbery that occurred on Lafayette Road in Bryn Mawr on May 20, 2016. According to authorities, the victim told police three people forced their way into his home, tied him up and then stole $500,000 in jewelry and handbags.
Numerous other burglaries took place in Whitemarsh Township, Marple Township, Newtown Square, Media and other locations in the region.
“This criminal enterprise would conduct surveillance on their targeted homes, employ co-conspirators as lookouts, tamper with home security cameras, and use two-way radios to communicate during the crimes,” detectives alleged in an arrest affidavit. “The group members effectively targeted highvalue homes and specifically looked for jewelry, designer purses, and cash.”
The defendants were arrested and charged after a lengthy investigation that involved multiple law enforcement agencies including Abington Township, Lower Merion Township and Whitemarsh Township in Montgomery County; Marple Township, Media, Newtown Square and Radnor Township in Delaware County; and Kennet Square in Chester County; as well as the New Castle County, Delaware Detective Bureau and Cherry Hill, N.J. Police.
“We believe that they were very sophisticated and quite good at committing burglaries. They conducted surveillance. They, at times, knew how to get around security cameras.”
— Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Benjamin McKenna