4 Arrested In Burglaries Targeting Indian, South Asians In MA

SUDBURY, MA — The Middlesex County District Attorney on Friday said that four men have been arrested following a string of burglaries targeting Indian and South Asian residents in Massachusetts over the last six years.

The men, who Middlesex DA Marian Ryan said were based in Providence, targeted Indian residents because they believed their homes would contain more jewels and cash due to their religious and cultural practices, officials said.

"If you add to that having knowledge or the suspicion your home was targeted not just to gain property, but was targeted because of who you are, because of your ethnic heritage, I think that gives you a sense of the type of trauma inflicted," Ryan said during a news conference Friday.

Jovan Lemon, 29, of Providence, Paul Lemon, 30, of Warwick, RI, Steven Berdugo, 28, of Providence, RI and Paul Miller, 46 of Woonsocket, RI, are facing a combined 95 counts of unarmed burglary and breaking and entering a home in the daytime with intent to commit a felony. They were arrested at their homes Friday, but were indicted by a grand jury earlier this month.

Police also recovered a large amount of jewels that had been stolen, Ryan said.

"Property reported stolen in the breaks included many pieces of diamonds and other gems and studded jewelry with values of individual pieces up to approximately $75,000; gold bracelets, necklaces and earrings and large quantities of cash. In several instances, the property had been secured in locked safes, weighing up to 400 pounds, which the perpetrators removed from the residence along with the stolen valuables," the DA's office said in a news release.

The burglaries happened in 25 towns in the Middlesex County area, including Sudbury, Lincoln, Weston, Boxborough, Carlisle, Hopkinton, Andover, Bellingham, Boxford, Franklin, Hudson, Littleton, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Attleboro, Norwell, Pembroke, Seekonk, Sharon, Southborough, Wenham, Easton and Westwood.