A robbery crew that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from people after they cashed checks across New York City was finally stopped today in Boro Park thanks to the sharp work of Boro Park Shomrim.

For weeks, victims in Boro Park, Williamsburg, and other neighborhoods were targeted the same way. After cashing checks, they were followed by a man on a bicycle who looked like an ordinary cyclist, wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a backpack. At the right moment, he would slash a tire, forcing the driver to pull over. While the driver checked the damage, cash was stolen from inside the car. Another suspect waited nearby in a getaway car, staying in contact with the biker to pick him up and drive off before anyone realized what had happened.

As reports piled up, Boro Park Shomrim’s IT and Intelligence Teams stepped in to break the pattern. Volunteers reviewed hours of security footage, mapped the suspects’ movements, and kept watch on patrol day and night to catch them in the act.

At about 3:30 this afternoon, a Shomrim volunteer on patrol spotted the suspects’ car in Boro Park. Other volunteers quietly located the biker nearby at a local check-cashing location as he targeted another victim. When the biker moved in and slashed a tire to set up another theft, Shomrim volunteers stayed close while keeping the NYPD updated every step of the way. As soon as the suspects took the victim’s cash, the NYPD moved in and caught both men red-handed with the stolen money still on them. They were arrested on the spot.

This organized robbery crew is believed to have stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars before their run came to an end in Boro Park. Shomrim’s patrols, IT, and Intelligence Teams made sure they did not get away this time.

The investigation remains active.