Warrant issued for Wilkes-Barre man accused of stealing $200k in jewelry

Ed Lewis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Oct. 6—WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Township police obtained an arrest warrant for a Wilkes-Barre man accused of stealing more than $200,000 worth of jewelry from Banter by Piercing Pagoda inside the Wyoming Valley Mall.

Tyron Malik Lawson, 35, last known address as 126 S. Welles St., used a tool or a key to manipulate a lock on two display cases stealing 409 pieces of jewelry consisting of gold chains, rings and medallions when the business was closed on Sept. 22, according to court records.

Immediately after the burglary, township police tracked a GPS device following Lawson driving a Honda Accord through Wilkes-Barre and across the South Street Bridge where he stopped behind the Luzerne County Assistance Office on South Washington Street, court records say.

Lawson allegedly got out of the vehicle, briefly spoke spoke with two township police detectives and fled on foot, eluding capture.

Township police and Wilkes-Barre police searched the area for several hours but were unable to find Lawson.

Police obtained a search warrant for the Honda that is registered to Lawson, who allegedly left behind his New York driver's license, cellular phones, tools designed to pick locks, two trash bags filled with jewelry, three empty trash bags, a reflective vest and a key fob. Display trays from Banter by Piercing Pagoda were inside one of the trash bags, court records say.

Police in court records say 387 pieces of jewelry were inside the trash bags as Banter by Piercing Pagoda estimated 409 pieces of jewelry were stolen with a value of $200,656.62.

An arrest warrant authorized by District Judge Michael G. Dotzel in Wilkes-Barre Township charges Lawson with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass, evading arrest or detention, operating a vehicle with a suspended registration and operating a vehicle without insurance.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Lawson is asked to call Wilkes-Barre Township police at 570-606-4791, text message to 570-760-0215 or email capparell@twp.wilkesbarre.pa.us.