Authorities link four men to series of home break-ins targeting Indians, South Asians

Authorities on Friday said they broke up a crime ring that for six years targeted Indian and South Asian families, breaking into their homes and stealing millions of dollars worth of jewelry and cash.

The four Rhode Island men — brothers Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, and Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, along with their father Paul Miller, 46, of Woonsocket, and Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence — are believed to have committed at least 43 burglaries in 25 Massachusetts communities, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press conference.

The four men also have ties to a violent Rhode Island gang that is known to authorities there.

“This was really a case of persistent, dogged work,” Ryan said.

‘Pursuing every lead’: Authorities say thieves are targeting homes owned by South Asians

The group is alleged to have broken into homes in Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Easton, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Weston, Sudbury, Andover, Bellingham, Boxford, Franklin, Hudson, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Wenham, and Westwood. Burglaries occurred between July 21, 2018, and March 30, 2024.

Four men were indicted by grand jury on April 18

On April 18, a Middlesex grand jury indicted each of the four men on 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering into a dwelling during the daytime with the intent to commit a felony.

Ryan said home burglaries often leave victims feeling vulnerable and upset, but because these victims were targeted due to their nationality, it made them feel worse, she said.

“The items stolen not only had monetary value, but were items that were passed down in families from generation to generation,” she said.

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Investigators, Ryan said, believe the victims were targeted because the suspects thought their households were more likely to contain precious metals, jewelry and other valuable heirlooms.

The total value of items stolen may be as much as $4 million.

DA: Suspects may have used Wi-Fi jammers to disable security cameras

Ryan called the group “sophisticated,” saying they were rarely caught on camera and may have used Wi-Fi jammers that would take home security cameras offline temporarily while they were committing burglaries, affecting both the homes they were in and those nearby.

In addition, they never used cellphones during or immediately after the burglaries so they could not be tied to the affected area, Ryan said.

The group, Ryan said, also had member lists for temples, which they possibly used to know when they may be away for events and holidays. It was not known how they obtained these lists.

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The burglars, she said, broke into the homes, usually through a second-floor window. They’d steal jewelry and cash and even safes that weighed as much as 400 pounds, throwing them out the window before taking them away.

Authorities served four search warrants on Friday morning in Rhode Island, recovering jewelry and a large amount of Indian currency. They also found several guns. All four men remain in custody in Rhode Island.

Arrests come after a nine-month investigation

“The theft crew we arrested today stole countless items of great monetary, emotional and cultural value from families in multiple states, and did so by violating the sanctity of their homes,” said Massachusetts State Police Lt. Col. Mark Cyr, head of the Division of Homeland Security. “Such brazen criminal actions will not be tolerated in our communities. This investigation highlights the dedication of our law enforcement partners to work collaboratively to take down complex criminal networks.”

Friday’s arrests come after a nine-month investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the State Police detective unit assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and the State Police Division of Homeland Security, including the MACrimeNet program operated by the State Police Fusion Center.

Also assisting in the investigation were police from every community affected by the break-ins, the Holliston, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Walpole, Wellesley and Westborough police, as well as several police departments in Rhode Island and the United States Marshals.

It’s unknown when the four men will be brought to Massachusetts to be arraigned.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.