A Beverly Hills man pleaded guilty on April 2 to stealing jewelry and other items from two victims staying at a luxury hotel in the city last year and later traveling to Florida to sell the stolen jewelry.

Jobson Marangoni De Castro, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, two victims – both residents of Brazil – traveled together to Beverly Hills in May 2023 to attend a fashion event. On May 10, De Castro traveled by Uber to the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel where the victims were staying, tricked a hotel employee into giving him a key to their room and while the victims were away for dinner, stole six suitcases. The suspect did not know the victims, but was able to answer the hotel desk’s security questions, according to court documents and media reports.

The suitcases contained jewelry, clothing and accessories valued at approximately $1.8 million, prosecutors said. When the victims returned to their hotel room, they discovered their suitcases missing and notified staff, who called the Beverly Hills Police Department.

Prosecutors said De Castro traveled to Miami after the theft. On May 17, he messaged a buyer on Instagram and attempted to sell two pieces of the stolen jewelry. De Castro told the buyer he wanted to sell a diamond necklace and luxury watch, but he did not have papers for them because he found them in a box belonging to his late mother. The jewelry matched the description of items stolen from the victims in Beverly Hills a few days earlier, according to court documents.

The next day, the buyer wired De Castro $50,000 for the jewelry, which De Castro brought to the buyer’s store in Miami. The suspect told the buyer his name is Jobs Marangoni, the same name he used for his Uber account, authorities said.

De Castro has been in federal custody since August 2023. United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera scheduled an April 30 hearing for De Castro to determine the exact amount of loss attributed to De Castro. A sentencing hearing is expected to be scheduled after the April 30 hearing. The FBI and the BHPD investigated the case.