2 Minneapolis Men Charged After Stealing Nearly $20,000 In Apple Watches And Selling Them On Mom’s Facebook

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Two 20-year-old men are accused of stealing nearly $20,000 in Apple watches during a string of robberies last fall, before attempting to sell the gadgets on their mom’s Facebook page.

A Hennepin County criminal complaint says law enforcement arrived at a T-Mobile store in Eagan on Sept. 8, 2019, after reports that two males had stolen four Apple watches. The watches had been on display and attached to security devices, but the thieves were able to run out of the store with them anyway.

The thefts were only part of a string of crimes in the Greater Twin Cities area.

In all, three Apple watches were stolen in Roseville, two in St. Louis Park, four in Brooklyn Center, three in Minnetonka, four in Maple Grove, four in Golden Valley, and at least nine in Eagan.

The value of all of the stolen merchandise totaled nearly $20,000 between late August and mid-October.

Police officers were able to identify Hamza Hussein Abdalla, 20, as one of two suspects, using images from surveillance cameras.

Officers searched Abdalla’s residence and found the clothes that the suspect was seen wearing during the robberies. Abdalla’s mother returned home while officers were conducting their search. She was able to identify Abdalla’s accomplice as 20-year-old Sharmarke Ali Abdi.

Abdalla later admitted to his involvement in the thefts, while in custody at the Hennepin County Jail, adding that, “he used his mother’s Facebook profile to post the Apple watches for sale,” according to the complaint.

Abdi faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Abdalla faces five years on these charges. He is also currently being held on other offenses.