Man steals 90-year-old’s $95K heirloom, rides stolen motorcycle to sell it, GA cops say
A man crossed state lines to sell an heirloom 9.46-carat diamond — only it didn’t belong to him, according to Georgia authorities.
The 41-year-old man of Whitwell, Tennessee, was arrested after police said he attempted to sell the stolen $95,000 ring to an Atlanta-area jeweler. He visited Celestial Jewelers in Acworth on Nov. 4, where employees caught him in the act, police said.
“Upon reviewing a picture of a partial Certificate of Authenticity, the store owners noticed a different name and with an address out of Hixson, Tennessee,” Acworth police wrote in a news release.
After a quick Google search, store owners found the rightful owner and learned the ring had been stolen out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to police and WSB-TV. Ronda Brummett, co-owner of Celestial Jewelers, said it was “sentimental” and belonged to an older woman.
“The lady is in her 90s, and she is currently in the hospital and from my understanding wasn’t doing very well, and she wanted to wear her diamond and be wearing it in the event that she passed because it was so important to her,” Brummett told the station.
Employees stalled the man until police arrived to arrest him, according to a Facebook post from Celestial Jewelers. He faces multiple charges including theft by bringing stolen property into the state, receiving stolen property greater than $1,500 and two counts of drug possession, police said.
Authorities said the motorcycle the man rode in on was also reported stolen.
Store owners said the diamond ring is now on its way back to its true owner.
“There is a 90 year old lady that is super happy she is getting her ring back!” the jeweler wrote in a Facebook post. “So glad we could help recover such an important heirloom!”
The man was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center where he remains held on a $110,220 bond, police said.
Acworth is about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta.
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