Over $1 Million of Stolen Jewelry Still Missing Says Prosecutor

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Veneshia Cezil said there’s likely more than $1 million dollars worth of jewelry still missing from the Labor Day weekend jewelry heist in Grosse Pointe City that landed two brothers and a woman in jail.

All three were in Grosse Pointe Municipal Court on Thursday for separate preliminary exams. Alaina R. Robinson, 26, who is out of jail on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond, waived her right to a preliminary exam. She left the courtroom before her boyfriend, Joshua Sedgeman, 20, and his brother, Matthew Sedgeman, 19, had their day in court. 

Both Sedgeman brothers also chose to waive their preliminary exams.

The three defendants were bound over to the Third Circuit Court for a consolidated arraignment on Sept. 27.

Defense attorneys for the Sedgeman brothers also motioned for a reduced bail.  Presently Joshua Sedgeman is held on a $50,000 surety bond and Matthew Sedgeman on a $500,000 surety bond, which requires them to pay 10 percent to assure their return to court.   

Grosse Pointe Municipal Judge Russell Ethridge denied the motions saying that he was concerned for the safety of the community due to the Sedgemans’ prior convictions and that there was still a large amount of jewelry unrecovered which could give the defendants opportunity for flight.

“Even one of those pieces might take you around the world for several very nice trips,” Judge Ethridge said.

Shock and Awe

Yale Sedgeman, 46, was shocked to learn that two of his twelve children were involved in a crime of this magnitude. Despite his sons' troubled youths and frequent run-ins with the law, Sedgeman is still reeling from the charges they face—especially Matthew who now faces the possibility of life in prison for being a habitual offender.

In court on Thursday, Yale Sedgeman sat with two family members and watched his sons’ proceedings. Sedgeman said he hired the attorney for Matthew because of the seriousness of the charges he faces.    

Joshua Sedgeman and Alaina Robinson are charged with receiving and concealing more than $20,000 in stolen property. If convicted, each are facing up to 10 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines or three times the value of the stolen property, whichever is greater. 

Matthew Sedgeman, is charged with second degree home invasion, larceny of $20,000 or more and with being a habitual offender. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison because of the habitual offender charge.

Jewelry Could Be Anywhere

Grosse Pointe City Public Safety Detective Christopher Lee said he has never seen a heist of this value in Grosse Pointe City. The fact that there are so many pieces of jewelry and that many are of high value has required investigators to look much farther than the local area.

Grosse Pointe City police have alerted the Gemological Institute of America in New York City, pawn shops and other companies that deal in high-end jewelry around the country to be on the lookout for the missing jewelry.

 “Any of these pieces could potentially end up anywhere,” Lee said.