Southern Jewelry Store Robberies
ATLANTA (AP) – A bond hearing for a man accused of helping a 24-year-old woman rob jewelry stores across the South has been postponed until next week.
Lewis Jones III was due in a federal courtroom in Atlanta on Friday to determine conditions of his detention. Multiple news media report that the 35-year-old Jones will appear in court Wednesday.
The female suspect, Abigail Lee Kemp, was denied bond during a similar hearing Thursday.
Prosecutors say the two made off with an estimated $4.3 million in jewelry from six robberies in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Both were arrested Jan. 8 in Smyrna, an Atlanta suburb.
Prosecutors say cellphone records and tips from the public led to their arrests.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Roemer said the stolen jewelry has not been recovered.
