Two Convicted in $1.7M Jeweler Heist
Two men from the East Bay were found guilty in the $1.7 million robbery of Heller Jewelers. The prosecution of the case remains ongoing, with further legal proceedings expected for others involved.
- The recent convictions stem from a 2023 robbery where at least 11 individuals stormed the San Ramon jewelry store, stealing approximately $1.1 million in watches and jewelry. - Federal prosecutors charged five individuals in connection with that 2023 heist: Sunia Mafileo Faavesi, Ryan Kentrell Montgomery, Paul Christopher Tonga, Kyle Vehikite, and John Ioane Tupou. - Investigators were initially able to track the suspects through a GPS device embedded in a stolen Rolex watch. - Heller Jewelers was the target of another major heist in September 2025, when a mob of about 20-25 people conducted a smash-and-grab robbery. - During the September 2025 robbery, suspects became trapped inside when a security door automatically locked behind them, forcing them to shoot their way out. - Following the September 2025 incident, at least seven suspects were arrested, with the Contra Costa District Attorney's office filing 13 counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy against three of them. - A prosecutor stated that the estimated value of the jewelry stolen in the September 2025 heist was also around $1.7 million. - This pattern of large-group retail theft is not isolated to this case; nine members of the "Ghost Town" gang were recently sentenced for a series of armed robberies at small businesses in the Bay Area, including a jewelry store in San Pablo.
