Houston Man Sentenced to 27 years in Federal Prison For His Role in Tilak Jewelers Robbery

A Texas man was sentenced on Wednesday to 27 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale jewelry robbery, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

At a trial in Dallas last October, Treveon Dominique Anderson, 28, of Houston Texas, was convicted of conspiring with 13 other individuals to rob Tilak Jewelers in Irving, Texas. Shortly after the robbery, evidence showed, Mr. Anderson and his co-conspirators returned to Houston and began selling the stolen jewelry to “fences” there.

Thanks to the dogged work of the FBI’s Violent Crime Squad, all involved – including the three fences – have been identified and charged.

Mr. Anderson, who has been in custody since his arrest in February 2016, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of kidnapping. 

According to the testimony at trial, in the early morning hours on November 17, 2013, Mr. Anderson and 12 co-conspirators traveled from Houston to the Dallas area to rob Tilak Jewelers in Irving, Texas.

After arriving in Dallas, they stole a cargo van and a minivan. Then, while three of the conspirators positioned themselves outside the jewelry store to watch for law enforcement, Mr. Anderson, along with five other coconspirators, drove together in the stolen cargo van to Tilak Jewelers.

Once there, the conspirators disguised their identities with gloves, long-sleeved shirts, pants, and items covering their faces. One conspirator then smashed the jewelry store’s locked glass door with a hammer.

After gaining entry, as Mr. Anderson and two others brandished handguns, the conspirators restrained the owners of the jewelry store with zip-ties, smashed numerous jewelry display cases, and stole jewelry.

After securing the jewelry, they fled the scene in the stolen cargo van, which they abandoned at a predetermined location, where another conspirator was waiting in the stolen minivan. They were then driven to another predetermined location, where yet another conspirator was waiting in a switch vehicle.

After a short drive in the switch vehicle, the group handed off the stolen jewelry to another conspirator for transportation to Houston, where the Tilak tags were removed during a brief stop at a Houston strip club. 

Mr. Anderson’s codefendants include:  Afraybeom Traverom Jackson, 27, Joshua Deunte Caldwell, 26, Dominique Pearson, 25, Hilton Murdock Aitch, 56, Irving Tyrone Flanagan, 47, Larry Solomon, 42, Terrence Lynn Thompson, 53, Anthony Ray Turner, Jr, 25, Michael Cornelious, 27, Xavier Rashad Ross, 25, Vanlisa Scott, 47, and Jimmy Hatchett, 54.  Out of the 13, 11 pled guilty and two -- Anderson and Jimmy Hatchett – were convicted after trial. One passed away before he could be brought to justice. Three fences have also been charged with lying to FBI Special Agents during the investigation. Two have pleaded guilty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Irving Police Department, and Houston Police Department conducted in the investigation. U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade presided over the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Walt Junker, John DeLaGarza, and Keith Robinson prosecuted the case.