Four people suspected of orchestrating sophisticated break-ins of the homes of Indian and South Asian families across Massachusetts and beyond in recent years were arrested in Rhode Island Friday, authorities said.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan referred to them as "a very sophisticated ring of homebreakers" and said some of the victims "were truly traumatized and, in some cases, robbed of pieces of their heritage." She spoke at a news conference in Boston alongside Massachusetts State Police and officers from across the state who were part of the investigation.
The burglaries involved at least 43 break-ins across 25 communities, Ryan said. Authorities on Friday recovered some of the gems — including one worth $75,000 — and other jewelry and cash stolen from the homes. The value of the stolen goods totaled over $4 million.
The investigation required the coordination of 39 different police agencies, authorities said.
The four suspected burglars include two brothers and their father. They're believed to be part of a gang in Rhode Island, and investigators found they used Wi-Fi jammers while they knew the victims were out of the house, and targeted the families because they believed the victims would have high-value items at home, in part because of their cultural heritage.
"These were items hat had been passed down in families from generation to generation," Ryan said.
The suspected burglars were identified as brothers Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, and Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, Rhode Island; their father, Paul Miller, 46, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island; and Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence. It wasn't immediately clear if they had lawyers who could speak to their arrest, on the 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a dwelling house in the daytime with intent to commit a felony handed down by a grand jury in Middlesex County last week.
"Those homes were being targeted largely because there was a belief … that because of their cultural heritage, those homes would have a lot of gems, gold jewelry, and they would have a lot of cash," Ryan said.
She added that prosecutors are looking into whether hate crime charges are appropriate.
"Oh my god, we feel so relieved," said Rahul Khanna of Weston.
He's speaking for his friends and fellow members of the South Asian community who have been on edge for years since a pattern of disturbing home break-ins began in 2018, the most recent happening less than a month ago.
"People have been living here for 40 years, and they say they never had a situation like this," Khanna said.
"There's many of us that have been waiting for this day, but none more than the South Asian community," said Acting Lincoln Police Chief Sean Kennedy, one department that was a part of this investigation.
"We can go back to living our lives, enjoying with friends, families, take trips when we need to," Khanna said. "It's such a relief."
Ryan said police were working to notify the victims, some of whom were apparently identified through lists of temple membership.
The rash of break-ins began July 21, 2018, and carried on through March 30, 2024, according to authorities, giving the towns involved as Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Easton, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Weston, Sudbury, Andover, Bellingham, Boxford, Franklin, Hudson, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Wenham and Westwood.
