First member of alleged 'Taliban Glizzy' crew sentenced to 14 years in prison for string of robberies targeting Asian-owned jewelers

WASHINGTON — A District man was sentenced to 14 years in prison Tuesday for his role in a violent robbery ring that targeted South Asian-owned jewelry stores in multiple states along the East Coast.

Timothy Conrad, 34, was one of 16 defendants charged last year on a slew of charges ranging from carjacking to armed robbery to money laundering. In court filings last August, federal prosecutors said Conrad was a member of a group led by another D.C. man, Trevor Wright, also known as “Taliban Glizzy.”

Investigators said the group specifically targeted South Asian-owned jewelry stores looking for heavy gold, which they melted down into gold bars or sold by weight to convert into cash. The group allegedly based its operations out of D.C., but hit at least nine stores along the eastern seaboard, including locations in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The robberies, according to investigators, all followed similar patterns. Several members of the group would rush into the store and hold up staff at gunpoint while others smashed open jewelry cases and stole everything inside. During one robbery at Baral Jewelers and Gift Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the thieves escaped with an estimated $1 million worth of jewelry. Two weeks later, the group allegedly struck again – making off with more than $400,000 worth of jewelry from a store in Jersey City, New Jersey.

According to charging documents, Conrad and other members of the group posted videos of themselves partying at a night club in D.C. the evening of the Baral robbery and flaunting stacks of cash in a car days later.

Conrad, aka “Twin,” pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. On Tuesday, he appeared before U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper as the first defendant in the case to reach sentencing.

Federal prosecutors sought 168 months, or 14 years in prison, for Conrad, calling him a “mid-level player” in the scheme. His plea to the conspiracy count encompassed his role in at least four of the robberies, although prosecutors said they had no evidence to prove he was ever one of the gunmen.

“To his credit, the United States does not consider the Defendant to have been a leader or organizer of the overarching scheme,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Andrea Duvall wrote in their sentencing memo. “Even so, the Defendant’s conduct over an extended period of time demonstrates a willingness to inflict violence upon others for monetary and/or proprietary gain, as well as a complete disregard for the consequences.”

On Tuesday, prosecutors called two victims of the scheme to give statements. One, Baral Jewelers owner Deepak Bishwokarma, said his wife and son remained “mentally tortured” by the lingering effects of being held at gunpoint by the robbers. A second man who owns a grocery store in the same building as Bishwokarma told the judge his wife begged the robbers to shoot them instead of their son.

Conrad, who was the second defendant in the case to plead guilty, sought only a minimal downward variance to 157 months, or roughly 13 years, in prison – arguing a prior marijuana conviction should be discounted because of a proclamation by President Joe Biden in 2022 pardoning many federal and D.C. offenders.

Cooper, who was nominated to the federal bench in 2014 by former President Barack Obama, said he would normally grant the downward variance Conrad sought. In this case, however, he said Conrad’s “laundry list” of prior arrests and the fact the he was already on court-ordered supervision in a separate case when three of the robberies occurred convinced him a variance wasn’t warranted.

Cooper ultimately sentenced Conrad to a cumulative 14 years in prison – nine years on the conspiracy charge to be followed by an additional five on the firearms count. He also ordered Conrad to serve four years on supervised release after his prison term is complete.

Prior to his sentencing, Conrad made a statement to the court apologizing to his family and to the two victims who looked on from the public gallery.

“I hope you can get ya’ll’s peace and happiness back,” Conrad told them.

Cooper granted a request from Conrad’s attorney Mark Rollins to recommend placement at the medium-security FCI Butner in North Carolina.

According to court filings, at least six alleged members of the crew have now pleaded guilty in connection with the case, including one who pleaded guilty to related federal charges in Florida. Wright, the alleged mastermind behind the crew, is being held in federal custody while he awaits trial.