And other crime news.
Police say a couple stole a $32,000 ring from a jeweler in Oklahoma by swapping it out for a fake version.
Tim Lewis of Lewis Jewelers in Moore told KOCO-TV that the pair acted like any other couple shopping for an engagement ring.
At one point the man said he was going to his car to get his identification. Soon afterward, the woman said, “This is the ring I want and love, and, oh, I’ve got his car keys. I need to give him his car keys. I’ll be right back,” Lewis told KOCO.
She then headed out the door — but not before covertly switching out the ring.
Police are still looking for the culprits. They believe the same couple also hit businesses in Oklahoma as well as Texas.
Police Seek 6 in ‘Distraction Theft’
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Thieves using distraction techniques took jewelry from Honolulu Jewelers in Glendale, CA, police say. Here’s what happened, according to the Jewelers’ Security Alliace: “Two of the suspects approached the store owner as he was closing and asked to make a quick purchase. The owner agreed and five women and one man then entered the store. One of the women bought jewelry while the others asked store employees if they could look at or try on merchandise. While the employees were distracted, a woman in the group went behind a showcase and took jewelry from an open safe. The woman then hid the jewelry in the pocket of her skirt.” Police have released surveillance photos of the suspects.
Police suspect these individuals carried out a distraction theft at a jewelry store in California.
2 More Sentenced in $800,000 Watch Scam
A judge has sentenced two men for their roles in a scheme that involved using fake IDs and credit cards to purchase high-dollar timepieces, Penn Live reports. Thung Van Huynh received a 70-month prison sentence, and Tong Thang Doan received a 57-month sentence. Both admitted to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. they were accused of fraudlently buying more than $800,000 worth of watches at more than 40 jewelry stores. Two other men have also been convicted in the case.
Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
