Viral video: Gang steals $1.7M from Indian-owned jewelry store in just over a minute

Newly released surveillance footage from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) of a “mob-style” heist that saw nearly $1.7 million in gold and diamonds stolen in just over a minute is going viral on social media.

The robbery, which targeted Kumar Jewelers, an Indian-American family-owned business on June 18, 2025, involved a fleet of vehicles and a crew of approximately two dozen masked suspects. According to federal authorities, the gang rammed a car into the store’s front to force entry. Once inside, the group acted like a “tactical unit”, using hammers and picks to smash display cases and clear out almost 80 per cent of the store’s inventory in approximately 70 seconds.

During the chaotic takeover, one suspect aimed a firearm at a security guard, while another forced the guard to the ground. The crew then fled in multiple stolen getaway cars that peeled off in different directions to evade detection.

According to a DOJ press release, while most of the “robbery crew” remains at large, a federal grand jury has indicted four suspects — all aged 19 or 20 at the time — in connection with the crime: Afatupetaiki Faasisila, Jose Herrada-Aragon, Andres Palestino, and Tom Parker Donegan. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.