Arrests by Torrance Police May Be Break in Rolex Robberies : Crime: Man is accused of robbing two attorneys. Police also recover watches from a jeweler who was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

A man arrested by Torrance detectives on suspicion of robbing two attorneys may be linked to a series of Rolex watch robberies throughout the county, police said Thursday.

Police said they also have arrested a Los Angeles jeweler in connection with the case and confiscated 91 watches from his store, including 11 Rolexes.

Sherman Newman, 25, of Los Angeles was taken into custody last Friday after his fingerprints were found in the Torrance office of attorney John Cheroske, who had been robbed at gunpoint two days earlier by a man pretending to be a prospective client.

Newman, who was arraigned Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to two robbery counts, one count of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a firearm and two counts of being an ex-convict with a gun. He was ordered held without bail.

Also on Wednesday, Torrance detectives arrested the jeweler, Farhad Keshmiri, 25, of Los Angeles, on suspicion of receiving stolen property, Sgt. Dennis Addington said. Cheroske’s $12,000 Rolex watch was recovered in Keshmiri’s downtown Los Angeles jewelry store, called Jewelry 2000, Addington said.

Police also confiscated 10 other Rolex watches--several of which showed signs of serial number tampering--and about 80 other types of watches. In addition, detectives took several items of gold jewelry in an effort to match them to other robbery cases, Addington said.

Keshmiri was released on $2,500 bail, Addington said.

While police were investigating whether Keshmiri is tied to the series of Rolex robberies that have plagued the Los Angeles area for about a year, Addington said they believe Newman is.

“There have been so many in Los Angeles County that we, of course, can’t tie every one of them together, but I think there is a link with some other cases,” Addington said.

Authorities did not say how many Rolex robberies they believe Newman was involved in.

The first robbery Newman has been charged with committing took place in the Marina del Rey area on Sept. 5, Deputy Dist. Atty. Julie Sulman said.

Encino attorney David Kenner, 48, told police he received a call from a man who asked for Kenner’s assistance in turning himself in to police on an outstanding warrant.

Kenner agreed to meet the man in the parking lot of the Black Whale restaurant in the 3000 block of Washington Boulevard.

Shortly after Kenner arrived, a man rode up on a red motorcycle, wearing a helmet, leather gloves and a thick, leather jacket.

The man got into Kenner’s car and pulled a gun and a pair of handcuffs from his pockets, Sulman said.

After the man had taken Kenner’s $20,000 Rolex, a ring and a bracelet, he demanded that Kenner handcuff himself to the steering wheel, Sulman said. Kenner refused and, when the man was distracted by a car pulling into the parking lot, Kenner rolled out the driver’s door and began to run.

Sulman said Kenner looked back and saw the man pull the gun’s trigger several times. It failed to fire.

As another car came into the lot, the man ran to his motorcycle and fled, Sulman said.

Although Kenner told police he could not get a good look at the man because of the helmet, he saw a scar below the man’s right eye. Newman has such a scar, Sulman said.

On Sept. 12, a man went to Cheroske’s office, saying he wanted the attorney present when he turned himself in to police on an outstanding warrant. During a private conference, however, he pulled a gun, Sulman said.

The man, who had identified himself as Rodney Abbott, used a washcloth and a necktie to gag Cheroske, Sulman said.

The man took Cheroske’s gold Rolex, gold necklace, a pinkie ring, a gold money clip and $600 cash, and then nonchalantly left, Sulman said.

Sulman said Cheroske told police that the man had a scar below his right eye.

Investigators say they found Newman’s fingerprints on a clipboard where he had signed in when entering the office.