WACO JEWELER AND ALLEGED CO-CONSPIRATOR INDICTED FOR BUYING JEWELRY TAKEN IN STORE ROBBERIES

WACO, Texas — A Waco jewelry-store owner and an alleged co-conspirator have been arrested and federally indicted on charges accusing them of purchasing jewelry they knew had been stolen during multiple jewelry-store robberies.

Michael Wayne Habern Jr., 53, owner of Waco Jewelers, and Clemond Earl Busby, also known as “Bull,” 65, of Waco, were arrested this week following the return of a federal indictment in the Western District of Texas.

United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the arrests and charges on July 23, 2026.

According to the indictment, Busby arranged meetings between multiple jewelry-store robbers and Habern in the parking lot of Waco Jewelers. The meetings were allegedly organized so the stolen merchandise could be sold to Busby and Habern.

Federal prosecutors allege that both men participated in some of the negotiations. During other transactions, Busby allegedly served as an intermediary, communicating between Habern and the people attempting to sell the stolen property.

On one or more occasions, Busby and Habern allegedly received jewelry with retail price tags still attached. Some of the merchandise was allegedly delivered inside display cases that had also been taken from the affected jewelry stores during the robberies.

The condition in which the items were presented forms a significant part of the government’s allegations. Jewelry arriving with store tags and stolen display materials could support the prosecution’s claim that the defendants knew the merchandise had not entered the resale market through a legitimate sale or lawful transfer.

The indictment also alleges that Busby and Habern paid the robbers substantially less than the jewelry’s true value and conducted the transactions exclusively in cash.

Cash transactions are not unlawful by themselves, and purchasing merchandise below its retail price does not automatically establish criminal conduct. Prosecutors allege that the surrounding circumstances—including the people supplying the merchandise, the locations of the meetings, the attached price tags, the stolen display cases, and the reduced cash payments—showed that the defendants knew the jewelry came from robberies.

The charges concern conduct allegedly committed after the underlying store robberies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not announce robbery charges against Habern or Busby in this indictment.

Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, nine counts of accessory after the fact, and one count of misprision of a felony. Each man faces 11 federal counts.

The money-laundering conspiracy charge accuses the defendants of agreeing to conduct financial transactions involving property connected to criminal activity.

The nine accessory-after-the-fact counts accuse them of assisting people after federal offenses had already been committed, with knowledge of those offenses, to hinder or prevent the offenders’ apprehension, trial, or punishment.

Misprision of a felony generally involves having knowledge that a federal felony was committed, failing to report it to the proper authorities, and taking an affirmative step to conceal the crime. The charge requires more than remaining silent or failing to volunteer information.

Those descriptions explain the nature of the filed charges. Whether prosecutors can prove every required element remains a question for the federal court.

If convicted on all counts, Habern and Busby each face a combined statutory maximum of up to 113 years in federal prison.

The announced maximum represents the potential penalties authorized for the charged offenses and does not predict the sentences either defendant would receive. If convictions occur, a federal district judge will determine the punishment after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, statutory requirements, criminal histories, offense conduct, and other legally relevant factors.

The investigation involves a broad group of federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies, reflecting the connections alleged between the Waco transactions and jewelry-store robberies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Anti-Gang Taskforce, Waco Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security, Austin Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the federal government.

The allegations contained in the indictment have not been proven in court.

An indictment is a formal accusation and does not constitute evidence of guilt. Michael Wayne Habern Jr. and Clemond Earl Busby are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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