Cell number, social media led FBI to robbery suspect

Kemp was arrested after a number of citizens contacted law enforcement about the woman seen on surveillance video, identifying the suspect as Kemp, the affidavit said.

Kemp is scheduled to make her first court appearance Monday. Some of the tipsters said Kemp had been wearing expensive jewelry and they didn’t know how she could afford it. U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Walker set another hearing for Thursday to decide the conditions of Kemp’s detention and appointed federal public defender Rebecca Shepard to represent her. Shepard declined to comment after the hearing.

Abigail Lee Kemp’s arrest came on Friday in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna, Georgia, following tip-offs from members of the public after recognizing the woman after surveillance video of the model jewelry thief began making the rounds.

She was charged by criminal complaint on Friday with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence, the Department of Justice said Monday.

A cellphone number with an Atlanta area code – traced to Kemp – hit towers in cities where the robberies occurred around the time of the crimes, according to the affidavit.

The agent’s statement says Kemp told agents that Jones, whom she called “Lou”, was involved in the robberies. Kemp allegedly forced two workers into a back room at gunpoint, zip-tied their hands and then piled jewelry from the cases into a shopping bag.

Cameron Parker, who grew up with her in Cobb County, Ga., said he was shocked to hear she had been arrested.

Kemp told agents Jones was on the phone with her during all the robberies in which she went inside alone.

The federal case will be handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

FBI The FBI released this image of the suspect following an armed robbery at a North Carolina jewelry store earlier this month. Authorities allege Kemp visited the store the day before the robbery. Authorities haven’t identified that person. Authorities have not said whether any of it has been recovered. He said that weapon is believed to have been used in at least one of the robberies: the January 4 holdup of a Jared’s Vault jewelry store in Mebane, North Carolina.