LONGMONT, Colo. — A man wanted for jewelry thefts in multiple jurisdictions in the Denver Metro area - that happened while he was on parole - is back behind bars.
A spokesperson for the Longmont Police Department told 9NEWS that James Margulis is in the Adams County Jail. He's accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores between Dec. 13 and Jan. 25.
According to court records, he has seven open cases against him for theft or robbery, including two in Boulder and Larimer counties and one case in Jefferson, Broomfield and Adams counties.
Those same documents show Margulis has a pattern. He acts like a typical customer coming in during business hours to shop for a family member. Sometimes it's his anniversary and other times it's a birthday or graduation. According to investigators, when he sees an opportunity to grab and run, he goes for it.
And that's not all, Department of Corrections records show that he's currently on parole after being sentenced for nine prior convictions in multiple counties in 2022. He was released on June 26, 2023, according to a Department of Corrections spokesperson. His sentence discharge date was March 12, 2025. That is when his parole for the prior cases would have ended.
One of the more recent victims spoke with 9NEWS last month. Rudy Rodriguez is co-owner of The Jeweler in Longmont. Security video from Jan. 17 shows Rodriguez working behind the counter when a man in a tan jacket walks in.
“I was going to show him one, and then he says 'What about those?'” Rodriguez said. “I looked down and that's when he took them and ran.”
The man stole a fistful of gold chains worth about $10,000. Rodriguez said he chased after the suspect, but he got away.
“He stole from me,” Rodriguez said. “That's why I pursued him, because it's like coming into my house. This is our house. I was this close to grabbing that dude.”
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