Two Additional Defendants Charged in Kidnapping of Jewelry Store Employee

PHILADELPHIA - Salahudin Shaheed, 34, Khayree Gay, 31, and Basil Buie, 23, all of Philadelphia, PA, were charged July 2nd by superseding indictment with conspiracy, kidnapping, and attempted Hobbs Act robbery, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The superseding indictment adds the conspiracy charge to the existing indictment that charged Gay with attempted Hobbs Act robbery and kidnapping, and adds defendants Shaheed and Buie.

According to the indictment, Shaheed recruited defendants Gay and Buie, a/k/a “Basil Tucker,” to rob National Watch and Diamond Exchange, at 101 S. 8th Street in Philadelphia, to obtain luxury watches, jewelry, and money which Shaheed said could be found there. It is further alleged that the defendants conducted surveillance of National Watch and its employees from a parking lot at 733 Chestnut Street, to identify and then, in disguise, abduct an employee from whom they would forcibly obtain keys, security codes, and the code to the company’s safe from which the robbers would steal luxury watches, jewelry, and money.

On April 3, 2015, Shaheed identified the employee to target but postponed the robbery when the victim entered the parking lot accompanied by other persons. The next day, the defendants returned. Upon seeing the employee enter the garage and approach her car, Shaheed and Buie, wearing masks, gloves, and sunglasses, confronted the victim, Shaheed assaulted her with a Taser, and they kidnapped her.

If convicted, each of the defendants face a maximum possible statutory sentence of life in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $750,000, and a $300 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeanine Linehan.

An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.