BOSTON – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn Jr. announced that Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, RI, Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, RI, Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence, RI and Paul Miller, 46 of Woonsocket, RI have been arrested and charged for their alleged role in 43 burglaries and break-ins across 25 towns in Massachusetts between 2018 and 2024. The defendants are part of an organized burglary ring with ties to a violent Providence-based gang known to law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island.

The defendants were directly indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on April 18, 2024 for a total of 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a dwelling house in the daytime with intent to commit a felony.  The incidents giving rise to the charges occurred in the communities of 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 between July 21, 2018 and March 30, 2024. 

The residents of the majority of homes were persons of Indian or South Asian heritage. Investigators believe that they were targeted based on of their ethnicity relying on a belief that their households were more likely to contain precious metals, jewelry and other valuable heirlooms.

Property reported stolen in the breaks included many pieces of diamonds and other gems and studded jewelry with values of individual pieces up to approximately $75,000; gold bracelets, necklaces and  earrings and large quantities of cash.  In several instances, the property had been secured in locked safes, weighing up to 400 pounds, which the perpetrators removed from the residence along with the stolen valuables.

The aggregate reported value of the stolen property exceeds $4 million.

“The defendants in this case were very sophisticated.  They targeted victims based on their ethnicity and then gathered information about their targets in order to strike when families were not at home.  They were disciplined in concealing their identity, avoiding alarms and minimizing cell phone use before, during and after the breaks and using Wi-Fi jammers.  Despite these challenges and the complicated nature and breadth of this investigation, law enforcement collaboratively and persistently worked to today begin the process of holding these four defendants accountable,” said District Attorney Marian Ryan. 

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Cyr, commander of the Massachusetts State Police Division of Homeland Security, added: “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. 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.”

The arrests are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, and the Massachusetts State Police Division of Homeland Security, including the MACrimeNet program operated by the MSP Fusion Center. 

The MACrimeNet program provides police from different departments capabilities to obtain and share intelligence about criminal acts and patterns, suspects, and other relevant information to help solve complex or cross-jurisdictional cases.

Further assistance was provided by the Rhode Island State Police and local police departments across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The defendants were taken into custody without incident Friday morning after being arrested in their homes by members of the United States Marshals Service/Rhode Island State Police Task Force.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Michael Klunder.

This is an open and ongoing investigation being conducted by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police in partnership with Police Departments from the communities of Andover, Billerica, Bellingham, Boxborough, Boxford, Carlisle, Easton, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Sudbury, Wenham, Weston and Westwood in Massachusetts; Avon, CT; East Lyme, CT and Connecticut State Police; Barrington, RI, Cranston, RI and Lincoln RI; and Nashua, NH with additional assistance from Holliston, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Walpole, Wellesley and Westborough MA Police Departments, Cranston, Cumberland, Providence and West Warwick, RI Police Departments and the United States Marshals Service/RISP Task Force.

Not many people can call Jamie Foxx a coworker, but Toshia Galligan can.

The Coventry, Rhode Island native is set to make her acting debut alongside Foxx and several Hollywood stars with the release of Not Another Church Movie, due in theatres on May 10^th.

Galligan and her castmate Luc Ashley stopped by the Fun 107 studio to give the details on the upcoming film.

Who Is Toshia Galligan?

Galligan got her start in pageantry but felt she was destined for other avenues, and her attention turned to modeling,

“I did Rhode Island Fashion Week…that led to commercials for Boston Cosmetic and Laser Center, which then led to meeting directors,” shared Galligan.

She eventually crossed paths with James Cummings, the producer of Not Another Church Movie.

“He said to me, ‘I have a role for you,’ and I haven’t looked back since,” said Galligan.

Becoming an actor felt unreal to Galligan, but thanks to Jamie Foxx, she felt right at home on her first movie set.

“I didn’t believe it was really happening until I met Jamie Foxx’s eyes, and we smiled at each other, and I said, ‘This is really happening,’” she laughed. “He’s really cool to work with. On set, he kept everyone in great spirits. I was nervous but he made me feel really comfortable because he just made me laugh the whole time.”

Keep an eye out for Galligan as “Earth Angel”, one of God’s right-hand women.

READ MORE: Providence Bistro Gets the Spotlight from Jamie Lee Curtis

What Is Not Another Church Movie About?

The official synopsis:

Hoprah Windfall (Luc Ashley), fretting as her ratings plummet because her talk show and audience need some new blood, calls on God (Jamie Foxx) and demands His help. God and his angels decide there’s no better choice to replace her with than the hardest-working man in the world, Taylor Pherry (Kevin Daniels). But when the Devil (Mickey Rourke) overhears this, he comes up with a fiendish plan of his own to disrupt the whole ordeal.

While Taylor prepares for one of his many jobs that mostly entail helping his dysfunctional but lovable family through their trials and tribulations, God appears and orders him to help Hoprah accomplish her mission, by writing a movie.

It’s a fun, parody comedy that takes playful jabs at Tyler Perry movies, with familiar actors joining the cast such as Vivica A. Fox, Kyla Pratt, Lamorne Morris, and Tisha Campbell.

Leave The Kids at Home for This One

Galligan was joined in studio by Luc Ashley, actor and comedian, who portrays a parody character of Oprah by the name of “Hoprah Windfall” in the movie.

“Everyone is not getting a car, but they’re getting something,” joked Ashley.

Ashley raved about leading man Kevin Daniels and promised non-stop laughter throughout the film.

“This is not a family movie, leave the kids at home,” she said. “It’s a good laugh. We need some comedy right now.”

Not Another Church Movie hits theaters on May 10^th.

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.

‘Hitting a bunch of communities’: Police say ‘distinctive’ pickup truck led to arrest of Marlborough man

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.

‘Lock your cars’: Police report rise in vehicles break-ins in Marlborough and Sudbury

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.