In the late hours of March 20, 2024, a planned robbery at an illegal cannabis warehouse on South Fifth Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York, resulted in a deadly shootout, leaving two individuals dead.
The incident involved about 15 armed assailants aiming to steal an estimated $8 million in cash and cocaine.
Federal prosecutors identified five men from the Bronx – Ilario Contreras, Jerpi Diaz-Feliez, Jhoan Diaz-Feliz, Victor Jimenez, and Joseph Perez – as part of the group that stormed the facility, which was known to sell various unlicensed marijuana and nicotine products.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith stated, “These five subjects allegedly orchestrated an attempted armed robbery of a warehouse that sells to smoke shops, which quickly turned deadly as a shootout ensued, culminating in the death of both an employee and one robbery crew affiliate.” This statement underscores the violence that unfolded when the robbery plan met with resistance from warehouse employees.
According to the federal complaint, the conflict began when warehouse employees, engaged in filling a large order of vapes, hookahs, and other items for a customer at around 10 p.m., were ambushed. As they loaded goods into a vehicle, between about 10 to 15 assailants emerged from a nearby van, forcing everyone at gunpoint back into the warehouse. The confrontation quickly escalated into a gunfight, resulting in the death of an employee and one of the robbers.
Mount Vernon Police and federal agents were able to track down the suspects by linking a van seen at the crime scene back to the Bronx, further supported by surveillance videos. The five men apprehended face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to engage in drug trafficking, with potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison each. Up to ten other men may be involved and are on the loose, prosecutors said
The authorities have not yet released the names of the two individuals who lost their lives during the attempted heist. They also found an AR-15 style rifle and 9mm spent shell casings at the scene, evidence of the deadly confrontation.
Mount Vernon Police Commissioner David Gibson emphasized the seriousness with which local, state, and federal law enforcement will pursue such criminal acts, stating, “We want to send a message to those who seek to commit heinous crimes in our community. We will partner with local, state, and federal partners to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
The ongoing investigation seeks at least one more individual believed to be a mastermind behind the botched robbery. The warehouse, according to the feds, was targeted under the mistaken belief it housed six kilograms of cocaine and about $8 million in cash, highlighting the extensive planning and lethal intent of the robbers.
