The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Texas man reportedly posing as a sports representative for an NBA player visited a Tiffany & Co. store in Florida and allegedly swallowed over $750,000 worth of jewelry in a purported attempt to steal the high-priced merchandise.
On February 26, a man visited a Tiffany and Co. store in Orlando and reportedly introduced himself as a representative for an Orlando Magic basketball player. It was reported that the man said he was sent by the player to buy two pairs of earrings and a ring. After pointing out the desired $1,356,500 worth of jewelry, the man was taken to a private VIP room to view the pricy pieces. After they were placed in front of him, the man allegedly snatched them off the table and tried to leave the room. An employee was able to block him before he got the door open, but he allegedly used physical force to get past them.
The authorities were notified, and the employees reported that the ring was dropped, but the suspect escaped with 4.86-carat diamond earrings worth $160,000, and 8.19-carat diamond solitaire earrings with a value of $609,500. Surveillance video was reviewed, and the vehicle the suspect left in was seen in the footage. A few hours later, Florida Highway Patrol pulled over an SUV for a traffic violation, and it matched the description of the vehicle the alleged jewelry thief was driving. It was reported that the price tags from the earrings were found inside the SUV, and he was arrested. When he was in the police vehicle, the officers reportedly saw him swallow what they believed were the stolen goods. A live scan of his body showed what looked like earrings in his stomach.