A Staten Island man was charged in Queens Criminal Court with grand larceny for allegedly stealing $170,000 worth of jewelry from multiple stores throughout the borough, prosecutors said on Friday.
Aaron Smalls, 39, is accused of plundering six different shops from last December to February, during which time he stole more than $50,000 worth of jewelry, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Law enforcement also tied Smalls to a theft of $120,000 worth of gold chains from a Queens store in September 2021 using DNA evidence recovered from a sweat-stained hat he left at the scene, Katz’s office said.
He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. An attorney for Smalls could not immediately be reached on Friday.
“My office is committed to addressing the issue of serial shoplifters who disproportionately contribute to retail thefts across the borough,” Katz said in a statement. “Ensuring the safety of our store owners, their employees, and customers is essential to a vibrant economy.”
Prosecutors said Smalls’ technique involved asking jewelry store clerks to let him see expensive pieces of jewelry that were held in security cases. Once he had an item in hand, he would run out of the store, they said.
In one instance, in December, he allegedly stole a gold chain with a large Jesus pendant worth around $20,000 from a store in Corona. In another, in February, he is accused of stealing two gold chains worth around $9,000 from a store in Woodhaven.
Katz’s office said Smalls was arrested on Wednesday at the Woodside Motel on Queens Boulevard. He was arraigned on Thursday on multiple counts of grand larceny in connection with the recent thefts and on charges in a separate complaint for allegedly punching a man and stealing his bank card in Corona in August 2021.
He is due back in court May 13, according to prosecutors.
