Four Rhode Island men arrested in connection with 43 burglaries across Massachusetts
(WJAR) — Four Rhode Island men were arrested and charged in Massachusetts in connection with a large-scale burglary ring involved in 43 break-ins.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Massachusetts State Police said Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence, and Paul Miller, 46 of Woonsocket, are accused of break-ins and burglaries across 25 towns in Massachusetts between 2018 and 2024.
Prosecutors said the four men are part of an organized burglary ring and has ties to a violent Providence-based gang.
The district attorney’s office said most of the victims were of Indian or South Asian heritage. Investigators said the victims might have been targeted based on their ethnicity because those households were more likely to have precious metals, jewelry and other valuable heirlooms.
The four men are facing 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a dwelling house in the daytime with intent to commit a felony, officials said. The 25 affected towns include North Attleboro and Seekonk.
According to prosecutors, some stolen property includes pieces of diamonds, other gems, studded jewelry, gold bracelets, necklaces, earrings and large quantities of cash. Some of the stolen valuables had an individual value of around $75,000.
The total value of stolen property is over $4 million, authorities said.
In February, Seekonk resident Sue Karwashian discovered someone had broken into her home.
The men stole large safes from their bedroom closet, filled with nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry and prized family heirlooms.
"When I went upstairs and I saw that, I mean it's my bedroom. That's like my personal space. That's my safe place. It was very violating," said Karwashian. "There was jewelry from my parents who have passed. So they gave me jewelry to pass down to my kids. That's what hurts the most. They took something that really meant something."
“They targeted victims based on their ethnicity and then gathered information about their targets in order to strike when families were not at home. They were disciplined in concealing their identity, avoiding alarms and minimizing cell phone use before, during and after the breaks and using Wi-Fi jammers,” Ryan said.
Ryan said at the press conference held on Friday that out of the four involved, Jovan Lemon and Paul Lemon are brothers and Miller is their father.
Prosecutors said the four men were taken into custody Friday morning after being arrested in their homes by members of the U. S. Marshals Service and Rhode Island State Police.
The men will be held in Middlesex County House of Corrections until their arraignments next week, Massachusetts State Police said.
NBC 10's Erin Coogan contributed to this report.