Headlines

Oklahoma Jeweler Charged with Embezzlement for Allegedly Stealing from Customers

He allegedly pawned jewelry that customers brought him for cleaning, repair or appraisal.

Published

2 years ago

September 20, 2022

INSTORE Staff

A jeweler in Tulsa, OK, has accused of embezzlement and other crimes after police received “multiple reports of stolen and/or missing jewelry.”

Paul Williams, owner of Jewelry Liquidation, was arrested on Sept. 16, according to a Facebook post from the Tulsa Police Department. He was charged with four counts of embezzlement by employee, and one count each of false declaration of ownership and obtaining money/property under false pretenses.

Police stated: “In each case, the victims dropped off their jewelry for cleaning, repair or appraisal, and the jewelry was retained by the store owner, Paul Williams. Several weeks would go by without any follow up from the owner. Numerous victims reported they made several attempts to check the status of their jewelry, or get their jewelry back, and were never able to contact the owner, Paul Williams.”

Police learned that Jewelry Liquidation closed down and that “everything in the jewelry store was gone.”

“Detectives later learned that the store owner Paul Williams retained thousands of dollars of jewelry under the assumption that he was cleaning, repairing and appraising the jewelry, but actually pawned the jewelry off for financial gain, without the consent of the original owner/customer,” police stated.

The police department’s financial crimes unit “received 12 official police reports claiming they were also victims of Paul Williams and ‘Jewelry Liquidation,'” according to the post.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”