A man who pleaded guilty to orchestrating a series of multi-million-dollar jewelry store robberies targeting South Asian-owned jewelers has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison.

Prosecutors say William Hunter, 28, of Washington, DC is behind the robberies of six stores along the East Coast over an 18-month period beginning in January 2022.

Investigators accused the defendant along with other armed suspects of using sledgehammers and other means to gain access to the stores, often after casing them.

Authorities believe the operation often melted down the gold the robbers stole and converted them to cash. They would then flout their haul on social media.

Authorities say 15 other suspects in the case have been charged and arrested. A number of them have also been sentenced with prison terms ranging from 57 months to 228 months in prison.

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