Report: Reconnaissance Mission Preceded Cartier Robbery

The robbers who briefly took over Chevy Chase's Cartier jewelry store on May 7—smashing display cases and stealing property before fleeing the store—did not enter into their work blindly.

They had someone do a little reconnaissance work first, The Washington Post reported.

Floyd Davis, 43, of Washington, DC, has been charged in federal court in connection with "a spate of smash-and-grab robberies at upscale shops" in the DC area, The Post reported. Davis "admitted in court Tuesday [July 9] that he went into the stores ahead of time so he could tell his accomplices how many people were inside and where security guards were stationed," The Post added.

His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20 at a federal court in Alexandria, VA, according to The Post.

Read more about Davis, his reconnaissance work and the other smash-and-grabs with which he may be connected on The Post's website.

The Chevy Chase Cartier heist took place in broad daylight, at about 11 a.m. on a Tuesday, Patch reported.

"By their number and by their aggressive actions, [the robbers] took control of the store," Capt. Paul Starks, a Montgomery County Police Department spokesman, said at the time. The robbers smashed display cases, took loot and fled the store on foot, then got into a black Dodge Charger headed toward Washington, DC, Starks said.