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Brooklyn Man Faces Federal Prosecution For "Brazen" SoHo Chanel Robbery
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 22, 2021
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FBI
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Feb 22, 2021
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A Brooklyn man has been arrested by the FBI and NYPD for allegedly sticking up a SoHo Chanel store in broad daylight earlier this month — then bragging online about bagging enough merchandise to "open a small boutique."
Eric Spencer, 29, was taken into custody on robbery charges in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, prosecutors said. He is accused of leading a four-person rampage through the luxury goods store on February 2nd, grabbing nearly $200,000 worth of wallets and bags from the shelves in full view of customers and security guard.
"What are you going to do? Shoot me?” Spencer allegedly told a security guard inside the store while displaying the handle of a gun. "Nobody touch me! Get everything! Grab everything!”
The NYPD previously said that the Chanel incident was linked to a string of other robberies of Manhattan retail stores. The other three suspects seen in security camera video of the chaotic robbery have not been charged.
Additional security camera footage showed a man matching Spencer's appearance sprinting through Wooster Street with the bags, then entering an Audi with temporary plates, prosecutors said.
The case is being prosecuted federally, since Chanel's products were manufactured outside of New York.
In the charging document, an FBI agent said that Spencer had prior run-ins with law enforcement. He was ordered held without bail following a hearing in Florida.
In a statement, US Attorney Audrey Strauss said that Spencer had "put the public and store personnel in grave danger when he committed a brazen daylight armed robbery of a SoHo boutique earlier this month."
Attempts to reach an attorney representing Spencer were not successful.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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