The FBI used data from cell towers to identify Kemp, 24, as the bandit who waltzed into jewelry outlets in five states, whipped out a gun, herded workers into back rooms and emptied cases, an affidavit says.
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The FBI office in Jacksonville, Florida, said last week that it was looking for a woman believed to be involved in six jewelry store robberies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, adding that a man was seen with the woman on surveillance video during some of the robberies.
Kemp faces charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and up to 20 years behind bars if she’s convicted.
Starting in late April 2015, Kemp and an accomplice hit or tried to hold up jewelry stores in Sevierville, Tenn; Bluffton, SC; Panama City Beach, Fla; and Dawsonville and Woodstock in Ga. – plus the latest in Mebane. The FBI did not release any details on who or how that person is connected to Kemp.
On Friday while assisting the FBI Jacksonville Division in the investigation, agents from the FBI Atlanta Division and officers from the Atlanta Police Department made contact with Lewis Jones III, 35, in Smyrna, Georgia, according to a news release. Kemp, 24, appeared in court at noon Monday for a first appearance before a judge, FBI Special Agent Stephen Emmett said in an email.
All the robberies happened about the same time of day and employed similar methods, according to authorities. Footage from a nearby store showed her driving a maroon Honda Civic. They also said she has a handgun and recently had her vehicle painted black. “She thought she could get away with a lot”, Godfrey said. There she stole jewelry worth $13,000. “I’m not saying she’s a party girl, but she’s always cracking jokes”.
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In all his years covering industry security, John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance, says he has never before seen a lone female armed robber. Why she left her old high school was a “fun mystery for everyone”.
