Massapequa wallpaper installer arrested for stealing $80,000 watches from several customers

The Garden City Police Department and Old Westbury Police Department are reporting the arrest of a Massapequa man for several major thefts that occurred from April 2022 to January 2023 in Garden City and Old Westbury.

Defendant Jiver Ricardo Vélez Gomez, 43, a resident of 55 Cleveland Place, was hired to install wallpaper in three Village of Garden City apartment buildings and one Village of Old Westbury apartment complex, detectives said.

While at the homes, Defendant Gomes removed designer watches from each apartment without permission from the homeowners, totaling approximately $80,000 in proceeds.

From April 2022 to December 2022, designer watches totaling approximately $60,000 were removed from three Garden City residences. In November 2022, approximately US$20,000 worth of USC designer watches were removed from the Old Westbury residence.

After a thorough joint investigation, the defendant Gomes was arrested without incident on 13 January 2023 at 16:05.

Defendant Jiver Ricardo Vélez Gomez has been charged with four (4) counts of 3rd degree grand larceny. On January 14, he was charged in the First Circuit Court at 99 Main Street, Hempstead and released on bail.

Detectives are asking anyone who believes they are a victim of a similar crime to contact the Nassau County Crime Squad at 1800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.