These jewelry heists were highly orchestrated and certainly brazen. They were heavy-handed for sure
but in a surprisingly calculated way. Yes, there was a smash, and definitely a grab
but behind the scenes there was so much more going on. The sheer effort these gangbangers put into
planning their ram raid spree may look like they had a touch of genius about them — and they did make
off with almost a million dollars worth of watches gold and jewels — but how did it work out for them
in the end? Well here's a hint: when the pants you're wearing get stuck on a fence during your
getaway and end up on a forensic examination table it's not going to be a good day. And if your wallet
phone and gun are with them? Well yeah, much more so. The Mob Reporter here breaking down the inside
details behind a pair of shocking high-value jewel heists that look like scenes from a movie
But the script for this thriller soon becomes a comedy. Let me tell you about it
The group at issue is the Chester Le Crew, an active gang named for the street and
housing project where members first met, in the Scarborough region of Toronto, Canada's
largest city. The crew mapped out their jobs in remarkable detail. Let's break it down.
Once they choose a target in a strip mall, they arrive out front early in the morning in several
cars. Here they are outside their target in Brampton, Ontario, at 8:18 a.m., parking in two
spots right in front of the store. They're there to reserve these spaces for later that day, when the
plaza will be busy. Now please note the jewelry store security cameras are an hour out of sync —
someone forgot to spring forward for daylight savings time. At 11:24 a.m. they moved the Range
Rover out from one of the spaces, making room for a stolen van, a white Dodge Durango
which is carefully backed into place. We'll see in a moment what's inside the Durango. At 11:30 a.m. a
guy covering his face is dropped off at the second car. He moves that out of the second parking space
making way for a stolen red and white tow truck, with a sturdy wheel lift bar sticking out back
Now a few minutes before this, eight miles away, another guy in the crew saunters through a
different plaza and busts off a couple of shots, harmlessly into the ceiling of a beauty salon
Rattled witnesses, of course, call police. This is meant as a distraction. Back at the jewelry
store the crew are waiting for police patrols to respond to the salon to buy them time, and
a little more space. It's now 11:37 a.m. Inside the store, the poor clerk is pretty oblivious
to what's at play and what's about to happen, scratching his head and staring into space.
Another day in retail. But outside, after waiting a few minutes for the distraction to do its job
it's time to move. The tow truck pulls forward to give it some runway and then floors it
in reverse, flying straight back, punching through the glass and metal frame storefront
Here's what it looks like from the inside
That poor clerk. He certainly got a jolt but thankfully no injuries; he wisely just got out
of the way. Once the tow truck extracts itself, it drives away and at 11:38, almost on the dot
four bandits squeeze out of the Dodge Durango, climb over the rubble and scurry into the store
They know what they're there to do. There's no fuss, just a bit of struggle to break the
display cases. They had problems with that at a previous heist, where they even shot at the
cases but they didn't shatter, and they had to use the butt of their guns to break them
This time they come prepared with hammers. They grab all they can and stuff it into bags
Buddy at the back here needs a hammer for the cases there — nice catch! We can't see what he's
grabbing. He's either just taking his time or found something really worth working for
Outside people are gathering, attracted by the loud crash and sound of breaking glass
But they quickly suss out it's a heist and move away. Notice the van's front driver's side door has
never opened — so a getaway driver is sitting there the whole time, waiting and watching them. Less than
60 seconds after the last guy entered the store, the last guy to leave runs out. That's pretty fast
The bandits scramble out of the store and back into the Durango
and off they go. But we'll see this van again in a moment
Their plan seemed to work — twice in fact. After each heist, the crew met up at their clubhouse, which
they called "the Shop." It's five miles south of their old hood, and there they divvied up the loot
By the second heist, however, police were already focused on the Chester Le Crew
as part of a larger guns and gang probe
The crew's headquarters was under surveillance and officers moved in to bust them
Part of the crew was in the rear driveway and bolted. They clearly had difficulty making it
out of the fenced backyard, victims of their own security. Investigators followed a trail of
dropped cell phones, lost shoes, a fallen wallet, a gun on the fence
and a light brown piece of cloth snagged on barbed wire. On the other side of the fence was a pair of
pants that matched the ripped cloth left blowing in the wind on the wire. Clearly the runner got
snagged while hopping the fence, discarded his pants to free himself, and continued his run
Police later found security video of a suspicious man jogging through a driveway
in his socks and boxers. A wallet they found was chock full of one guy's identification
Other officers found the Dodge Durango
It was somebody's job to burn the stolen getaway vehicle to destroy
evidence. But buddy with the gas can didn't seem to realize that fire needs oxygen as well as a source
of ignition. So when police recovered the Durango, they found an open gas canister, a Zippo lighter
and a book of matches. But the would-be arsonist only managed to scorch a bit of upholstery
melt the plastic of the center console, and singe some gloves that were presumably used in the heist
Police even found some of the loot inside. Evidence was piling up. The full takedown by the task force
was a big one. It wasn't just about the heists, it was a sweeping probe into smuggling and selling
guns, drug trafficking and gang violence. After eight months of investigation, police
from several forces fanned out in and around Toronto to execute 99 arrest and search warrants
in june 2019. The sweep was called Project Kraken, as in "release the kraken," the mythical sea monster
Investigators alleged the Chester Le Crew had links not only to other street gangs but also with
members of the Italian Mafia — that's pretty much the top of the food chain in Toronto's underworld
73 people were hit with hundreds of charges. Police brass said the crew operated as a
coordinated criminal organization, but in the end it seems it was all for nothing
While some of those arrested have pleaded guilty, including someone who helped orchestrate these
heists, others are fighting their charges in court and the allegations against them have not been
proven. Thanks for watching and please subscribe, be sure to tap the bell to turn on notifications