ICE allows suspect in $100 million jewelry heist to self-deport, escaping trial

United States (U.S.) federal immigration authorities allowed a suspect in America’s largest jewelry heist to self-deport to South America, avoiding theft trial and possible prison time.

Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores was one of the seven people charged with a $100 million jewelry heist from a rest stop north of Los Angeles.

Reports suggest thieves targeted an armored truck at the rest stop in 2022 and fled with designer watches, emeralds, diamond, gold, and rubies.

Flores was facing up to 15 years in prison; however, authorities granted his request for voluntary departure in December last year, a move that stunned prosecutors trying to send the suspect to prison.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not immediately available for a request to comment.

The court filings reveal that despite being a lawful permanent resident of the United States (U.S.), Flores was taken into custody by ICE in September and he then opted for deportation to Chile.

The judge initially denied his request but later issued a final order of removal and Flores was deported to Ecuador.

A former federal prosecutor, Laurie Levenson, criticised the immigration authorities for allowing a suspect in such a huge case to leave, without informing prosecutors.

Levenson said, “This really was the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing.”