Man guilty in $200,000 SoHo Chanel store robbery
NEW YORK - A federal jury convicted a Brooklyn man this week for a brazen daytime smash-and-grab-style robbery of a Chanel store in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood last year.
Eric Spencer and three others went into the store on Feb. 2, 2021, and began ripping handbags off of the cables that secured them to store displays.
When an armed security guard confronted Spencer, he yelled, "What are you going to do? Shoot me?" and reached into his waistband and intimated he had a firearm, causing store workers to back off as the robbers made off with more than $200,000 in luxury goods.
He was captured on video running from the store with stolen items.
In the days after the robbery, Spencer took photos of the stolen bags on his phone, bragged on his social media account about acquiring so many bags he "COULD OPEN A SMALL BOUTIQUE," and sent text messages confirming he had sold the stolen merchandise.
Spencer, 30, was convicted on conspiracy and robbery charges. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2022.
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At the time of Spencer's arrest, FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney Jr. said in a statement that Spencer was part of a robbery crew that targeted the luxury store for a violent takeover.
The NYPD had said the crew that robbed the Soho Chanel was believed to be part of a larger group of thieves that hit about 20 high-end stores in Manhattan.
