BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A transnational robbery crew that targeted jewelry couriers across South Florida — including cases investigated with help from local agencies — has now been fully sentenced in federal court, closing out a multi-year case tied to more than $5 million in losses.
Federal prosecutors say the group, described as a Colombian South American theft crew, operated between September 2019 and July 2021, following jewelry salespeople and robbing them of high-value merchandise. The investigation, known as Operation Boujee Bandits, resulted in charges against 11 defendants.
The final defendant, Leroy Ortega, 43, of Miami, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Ortega, also known as “el Enano,” pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
Authorities say Ortega was part of a coordinated group that targeted individuals believed to be transporting jewelry from major trade hubs such as the International Jewelry Exchanges and the Seybold Jewelry Building. The crew used rental cars obtained with fraudulent identification to track victims, then carried out robberies, sometimes using force or threats involving a knife-like weapon.
In one incident on Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and a co-defendant followed a man they believed to be a jewelry courier to a shopping center. The victim was actually a professional photographer transporting equipment. Investigators say a co-defendant pushed the photographer while Ortega grabbed a case containing camera gear and a computer. When the victim attempted to recover his property, Ortega reversed a vehicle, causing the victim to fall and sustain injuries.
Weeks later, on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and multiple co-conspirators targeted a jewelry salesman in Miami Beach. After following the victim to his business, Ortega smashed the vehicle’s windows while another suspect took a backpack containing approximately $125,000 in jewelry. Prosecutors say Ortega then held the driver’s door shut, trapping the victim inside as the robbery unfolded. The vehicle used in that case had been rented using a fraudulent Venezuelan driver’s license.
The case drew coordination from multiple agencies across South Florida, including the Boca Raton Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, reflecting how the group’s activity crossed county lines and affected regional law enforcement.
Federal authorities say the broader operation dismantled a network responsible for targeting jewelry couriers in South Florida and beyond, often selecting victims believed to be carrying high-value merchandise between businesses and trade exchanges.
Other defendants received significantly longer sentences. Allan Lucas, 34, was sentenced to 168 months in prison, while Giovanni Cardenas, known as “El Mono,” received 110 months. Several others, including Andres Barahona Poveda and Edwin Castillo, were sentenced to terms ranging from roughly seven to nine years. Additional defendants received sentences between 57 and 97 months.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Tampa Field Office with support from the FBI Miami Field Office and multiple local and regional agencies. Prosecutors say assistance also came from international partners in Colombia, highlighting the cross-border nature of the case.
The charges were brought in the Southern District of Florida and prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section along with federal prosecutors in South Florida.
With Ortega’s sentencing, all defendants tied to the operation have now been convicted and sentenced.
For Boca Raton residents, the case underscores how organized theft crews can operate across jurisdictions, targeting individuals moving valuable goods through commercial areas. Law enforcement agencies have emphasized coordination between local and federal partners as key to identifying and dismantling these networks.
Authorities have not indicated any ongoing threat tied to this specific group, but investigators continue to monitor similar patterns of organized retail and courier theft activity across the region.
Source: Justice Department
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