OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A federal judge in California has sentenced a man to 30 years in prison following his conviction on robbery charges in elaborate jewelry heists using Craigslist.
Prosecutors say U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland issued the sentence against 42-year-old Michael Anthony Martin, of Tracy, California, on Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Martin was part of a crew that stole more than $500,000 worth of high-end jewelry such as diamonds and Rolex watches from people in six states, including Arizona, California and Colorado.
The crew often posed as music producers and lured victims they found on Craigslist to the San Francisco Bay Area by promising to pay for their airplane ticket or reimburse them for travel. A crew member would often pose as an airport limousine driver and pick up the victims.
Four other defendants have previously been sentenced.
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