Crime
The 41-year-old allegedly transported 36 of the stolen watches from Miami to Peabody to sell to luxury watch dealers.
A man from Serbia was extradited to Massachusetts to face charges related to trafficking stolen watches worth $1.4 million, authorities announced.
Dusan Pericic, 41, is accused of helping possess, transport, and sell 269 luxury watches that investigators traced to a retail burglary in Saint-Barthélemy, according to a statement from Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley’s office.
Prosecutors allege Pericic played a role in moving the stolen watches and arranging for their transport to the United States, where they were to be sold to luxury watch dealers.
According to court documents, Pericic transported 36 of the stolen watches from Miami to Peabody in December 2021 and recruited a watch dealer to help sell them. He sold one of the stolen watches to a Florida dealer for $34,300.
Dutch authorities arrested Pericic on June 4 at an airport in Amsterdam as he allegedly attempted to flee to his native Serbia, prosecutors said. Court records show arrest warrants were issued for him in February and March of 2023.
Pericic is charged with possession and sale of stolen goods, transportation of stolen goods, and conspiracy to possess, sell, and transport stolen goods. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $500,000, according to Foley’s office.
Pericic appeared in federal court on June 6 and was ordered detained pending trial, prosecutors said.
An attorney representing Pericic did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
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