A former jewelry store manager on Long Island, NY, has admitted to stealing more than $137,000 in jewelry from customers.
Laura Bee, 59, of Lake Grove, who worked for Ever Love Jewelry in Huntington Village, pleaded guilty to a count of grand larceny in the third degree, announced Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
“Over almost three years, this defendant used her position as the manager of a jewelry store to scam her friends and unsuspecting customers,” Tierney said in a press release. “This defendant took advantage of her position for personal gain, and my office will continue to prosecute professionals who steal from their customers.”
More from the Jan. 17 release:
According to the investigation and the defendant’s admissions during her guilty plea allocution, from September 27, 2019, to June 26, 2022, Bee agreed to take possession of various jewelry items, valued at approximately $31,000 for the purpose of selling on behalf of her friends. Bee kept these items despite numerous demands for the proceeds of the sale or the return of the items.
Between October 7, 2020, and August 19, 2022, Bee sold various diamond engagement rings to customers who thought they were buying rings with natural diamonds. When customers later had their rings appraised, they discovered that the stones were lab grown diamonds, worth significantly less than the natural diamonds they paid for. Using this scheme, the investigation revealed that Bee stole approximately $47,000 from unsuspecting couples.
On December 10, 2021, Bee agreed to repair a broken diamond engagement ring for a friend. She was entrusted with the engagement ring valued at approximately $15,000. When Bee returned the ring to her friend, the natural diamond had been replaced with a lab grown diamond, worth approximately $2,000.
In addition, from June 22, 2022, to December 7, 2022, Bee stole almost $50,000 from other jewelers who sold her jewelry. Throughout this time, Bee issued six bad checks from the Ever Love Jewelry bank account, knowing the funds in the account would not cover the checks.
On January 16, 2024, Bee pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Karen Kerr, to one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. As part of the plea agreement, Bee is expected to make full restitution.
Bee is due back in court on March 25, 2024, and she is being represented by Matthew Tuohy, Esq.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lynch of the Major Crime Bureau with investigative assistance from Suffolk County Police Department Detective Christopher Anskat of the Second Precinct.
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