Philadelphia police have reportedly cracked a multi-million dollar jewelry theft ring in the Delaware Valley which once hit the home of Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry.
Lowry, who was born and raised in Philadelphia and played his college ball right there at Villanova, still has a home in the Philly area.
According to a report by CBS Philadelphia, the group of thieves had a base store located on "Jewelers' Row" which stretches across the Delaware Valley.
"Detectives said the connection to Jewelers Row was through a man identified as Wasim Shazad, owner and operator of V Jewelers."
"Police said the store amounted to a front, where millions of dollars of stolen jewelry was moved, resold or melted down. Shazad is described in court papers as “the fence” of the criminal organization. Each defendant is charged with a slew of felony counts, including a corrupt organizations charge."
Police said those involved in the jewelry theft ring would routinely run surveillance on their victims and go to great lengths to ensure they never tripped even the most sophisticated security systems.
Lowry's home was just one of the many that were burglarized in the area, including one home in Kennett Square that was robbed of roughly $600,000 in jewelry and another in Lower Merion that was hit for half a million.
Shazad posted $250,000 bail and was released from the Montgomery County jail but his four alleged accomplices are still behind bars pending a preliminary hearing.
