Headlines

He Found $5M in Diamonds … in the Trash!

Published

7 years ago

September 23, 2016

“Finders keepers” doesn’t apply.

A man who found $5 million in diamonds in the trash — and then sold some of them — will serve six months of probation, the New York Post reports.

As part of a plea agreement, Wilfred Martinez, a security guard, admitted to grand larceny.

In late 2015, he found the diamonds in some trash left outside the office of jeweler J. Birnbach Inc. in Midtown Manhattan, according to the Post. Authorities said they had been thrown out inadvertently by some workers helping the business move to a new floor.

The most valuable diamond in the bunch was reportedly worth $3.2 million.

Authorities said Martinez turned in some of the diamonds, including the most expensive one. But he was also accused of selling some to another jeweler for $74,000.

Martinez entered his plea in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Read more at the New York Post

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”