Breaking Local News (Tampa Free Press) Julian Flores, 25, and his mother, Lourdes Diaz, 56, both of Naples, Florida, have pled guilty to charges s
Julian Flores, 25, and his mother, Lourdes Diaz, 56, both of Naples, Florida, have pled guilty to charges stemming from a daring armed robbery that resulted in the theft of $750,000 worth of gold jewelry from a business owner in Hialeah, Florida.
The incident occurred on September 16, 2023, when the victim was loading a suitcase filled with gold jewelry into a vehicle in a Hialeah commercial parking lot. Diaz, driving a rented white SUV, reversed into position while Flores, dressed in black clothing and wearing a ski mask, exited the vehicle armed with a revolver.
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Flores approached the victim and attempted to seize the suitcase. When the victim resisted, Flores struck them multiple times with the revolver.
As the victim continued to struggle and shout for help, Flores fired a shot into the ground, gaining control of the suitcase before fleeing in the SUV driven by Diaz.
On October 2, 2023, law enforcement located and arrested Flores, who was wearing some of the stolen gold jewelry at the time.
Following Flores’ arrest, Diaz attempted to hide a black safe containing additional stolen jewelry at the home of one of Flores’ close associates.
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The next day, Diaz was arrested near the residence, where law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered the safe, which contained the remainder of the stolen gold jewelry.
On November 22, 2024, U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian accepted Diaz’s guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Flores entered a similar guilty plea on November 26, 2024, with an additional charge of discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Both defendants face potential maximum sentences of life in prison.
Sentencing hearings are yet to be scheduled.
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