Two Rochester men have been convicted for masterminding a violent home invasion and robbery ring. In addition to a lifetime in prison, they could also be forced to pay a $3 million fine.

Earl McCoy, 36, of Rochester and Matthew Nix, 37, of Rochester were convicted by a jury on charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, carrying and brandishing firearms during a crime of violence, narcotics conspiracy, carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms as convicted felons.

The Hobbs Act is a federal racketeering law passed in 1946.

According to the Niagara Gazette, McCoy and Nix, who face a maximum sentence of life in prison, are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth Wolford in Rochester on July 12.

McCoy and Nix were leaders of a violent gang of criminals who would break into homes with guns after gathering information, tie the victims up, beat them with pistols, hold them at gunpoint, threaten to take their lives, and demand drugs, money, and more valuables.

The majority of their targets were other drug dealers, but the pair also targeted a jewelry wholesaler in Greece.

Rochester First reported that McCoy’s group broke into Albair Sifain’s home in Greece. Sifain, the owner of Jewelry Lab in Greece Ridge Mall, said that after leaving work one day he arrived home and was beaten by two masked men with guns.

“Both of them, they stayed in my home for the whole night,” Sifain said. “Then my wife came home around 9:15 p.m. in the evening, they did with her the same. My son came home around 10:30-11:00p.m. in the evening, they did the same to him. They were sitting in front of us the whole night with masks and guns.”

Though McCoy and Nix weren’t inside the home, they were in charge of orchestrating the home invasions. The burglars continued to beat Sifain until he gave them the key and passcode to the Jewelry Lab.

The group stole a quarter of a million dollars worth of diamonds, which have a hardness rating of 10 on the Moh’s hardness scale, just above tungsten carbide’s 8.5 to 9 rating, as well as watches and cash.

The crime ring included McCoy’s two younger brothers and a few others.