Cuban Nationals Admit To Role In $250,000 Clinton Watch Heist

HARTFORD, CT - Two Cuban nationals have entered guilty pleas as part of plan to burglarize outlet stores in Clinton and outlet stores in five other states, the FBI said on Tuesday.

The conspiracy was hatched between August and November 2013, authorities said.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut and Patricia M. Ferrick, special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday that Alionus Perez, 40, a citizen of Cuba who last lived in New Jersey, and Yoandrys Cue, 30, a citizen of Cuba last residing in Florida, have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to engaging in the conspiracy.

Perez also pleaded guilty to engaging in a separate conspiracy to burglarize stores in Kansas and Tennessee in August 2014, they said.

Cue entered his plea on May 20, 2016, and Perez pleaded guilty Tuesday, they said.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Aug. 2, 2013, Perez, Cue and others traveled from New Jersey to Connecticut.

On Aug. 3, 2013, they broke into the Fossil store in Clinton, disabled the alarm system and stole watches valued at approximately of $250,000, according to court documents. Following the burglary, they returned to New Jersey with the stolen merchandise, according to court documents.

They also took watches from several outlet stores in other states, including a Michael Kors store in Lee, MA, valued collectively at $1.615 million, according to court papers.

In relation to the stolen watch scheme, Perez and Cue each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the interstate transportation of stolen property, authorities said.

Perez also pleaded guilty to the same charge in relation to a separate burglary scheme, authorities said.

Perez and Cue are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on Aug. 18 and Aug. 12, respectively, authorities said. Perez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and Cue faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, authorities said.

Each defendant also faces a maximum fine of approximately $3.6 million, and an order of restitution in the amount of $1.865 million, authorities said.

They are both being detained, authorities said.

The Clinton Police Department was involved in the investigation.