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Investigators Eye Diamond District Heist as Inside Job, Sources Say

By  Murray Weiss and Ben Fractenberg | November 17, 2014 8:28pm 

 Police are investigating the daytime gunpoint robbery of Watch Standard Jeweler at 23 West 47th St. on Nov. 11 as a possible inside job. 
Diamond District Robbery Investigation
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MIDTOWN — An associate of the Diamond District jewelry store that was robbed last Tuesday has been arrested while the two men who pulled off the $500,000 heist remained at large, according to the NYPD and sources.

Police believe the associate, Rondu Frisby, 37, recruited Harlem resident Leon Fenner, 58, to stage the Nov. 11 robbery of the Watch Standard Jeweler at 23 West 47th St., sources said.

Frisby was in the store at the time of the robbery and may have been the one to buzz Fenner in, according to sources.

Frisby was arrested Monday at the 33rd Precinct in Harlem on charges of robbery and drugs possession, police said.

Fenner and another man who robbed the store with him but was not immediately identified, remained at large as of Tuesday morning, police said.

Diamond District Heist
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NYPD

Dressed as a delivery person, Fenner was buzzed through a security door at the eight floor business. He then pulled out a gun and demanded the four workers inside empty the safe while his accomplice stood watch outside, according to police.

Some of the workers then called out for the owner to call 911.

When the owner entered the store, the armed robber struck him on the head with his black handgun.

The owner was not seriously injured.

Police locked down the building and evacuated the street while officers in riot gear searched for the suspects in the building, but they had already escaped.

Investigators believe Fenner recruited an associate to help with the robbery, according to sources. 

The second suspect was described as very tall and 30 to 40 years old. He was wearing a red baseball cap, black True Religion jeans and black sneakers, police said.