Ronald Patterson, Jr., a 35-year-old man from Washington, D.C., was sentenced on April 1 in federal court in Boston for his role in a series of smash and grab burglaries targeting luxury retail stores. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered Patterson to serve 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay $33,000 in restitution.
Patterson pleaded guilty in September 2021 to conspiracy to transport stolen goods across state lines and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. He was indicted by a federal grand jury alongside two co-conspirators in January 2023.
According to court records, Patterson participated with others in at least 14 burglaries spanning from Florida to Massachusetts. The group stole merchandise valued at over $500,000. Many incidents were captured on surveillance cameras showing men breaking glass doors and seizing high-end items from closed stores. Investigators found that Patterson advertised some of the stolen merchandise for sale on his social media account.
The sentencing announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division; and Wrentham Police Chief William R. McGrath. Law enforcement agencies from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New Jersey assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin prosecuted the case.