Men who stole from Ogden jewelry store facing charges in Pennsylvania

A pair of bandits who stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from an Ogden store are now facing federal charges for taking the stolen loot to Pennsylvania.

The two men, both in their 40s, struck a Morgan Jewelers in Ogden the afternoon of Dec. 27. Court documents say they pried open a display case, grabbed as many as 70 pieces of jewelry and "casually walked out" of the store. The men's indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Eastern Pennsylvania, adds that they made off with diamond rings, bracelets, necklaces and other things worth about $100,000.

The incident was captured on surveillance cameras. Crime scene investigators also discovered a finger print that did not belong to a store employee on the inside of the display case. A police database connected the print to one of the two men, and court documents add that "there would be no reasonable explanation" for the print unless it belonged to the person who pried open the case.

The men were spotted in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one day after the incident, according to court documents. In the following weeks, they were also seen in jewelry stores in Texas, Missouri and Tennessee. Police eventually tracked the men's minivan to Pennsylvania.

The men also faced felony and misdemeanor charges in Utah. Prosecutors filed the charges in March but dismissed them in August when federal attorneys opened the Pennsylvania case.

Both men now face one count of transporting stolen goods across state lines. They could be imprisoned for 10 years and fined $250,000 if convicted. Court spokeswoman Patty Hartman said the men have a detainment hearing Wednesday, when a judge will have the option of setting bail.

jdalrymple@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jimmycdii