Press Release
MIAMI WOMAN CONVICTED OF SELLING STOLEN DIAMONDS
July 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced yesterday's conviction of defendant Carolina Eyzaguirre, of Miami, Florida, for her participation in the sale of stolen diamonds to an undercover officer.
Eyzaguirre was convicted after trial on all counts of a three-count Indictment. Count 1 charged that Eyzaguirre conspired with Jose Sanchez to possess goods valued at more than $1,000 that had been stolen from a vehicle traveling as an interstate shipment of freight. Counts 2 and 3 charged that on May 9 and May 10, 2007, Eyzaguirre possessed diamonds that had been stolen from a vehicle traveling as an interstate shipment of freight.
According to the evidence at trial, the diamonds had been stolen in October 2006 from a car stopped at a gas station in Delray Beach, Florida. The victim was a diamond dealer who had traveled to Florida from New York in order to meet with Florida jewelry stores. On May 9, 2007, while under FBI surveillance, Eyzaguirre met with an undercover detective from the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office and negotiated the sale of two diamonds for $6,400. The following day, Eyzaguirre met with the same undercover detective and negotiated the sale of an additional 28 diamonds for $80,400. Eyzaguirre's co-conspirator, Sanchez, participated in the meetings by telephone from the Krome Detention Center, where he was being detained pending deportation proceedings. Eyzaguirre was arrested following the meeting on May 10, 2007. Her belongings and a storage locker in southern Miami-Dade County were searched and tens of thousands of loose gemstones, including diamonds, garnets, blue topaz, citrine, and amethysts were recovered.
After a five-day trial, a West Palm Beach jury returned a verdict of guilty on all three counts. Sentencing will be held before the Hon. Daniel T. K. Hurley at 2:00 p.m., October 19, 2007, in West Palm Beach, Florida. As to the first count, Eyzaguirre faces a maximum of five years' imprisonment, and, as to Counts 2 and 3, Eyzaguirre faces a maximum of ten years' imprisonment on each count. Following her term of imprisonment, Eyzaguirre faces a maximum of three years' supervised release as to each count, and the Court can impose of a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the three counts.
Mr. Acosta commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for their coordinated efforts in investigating this offense. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Villafaña.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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