Thief employs classic move to nab $255K ring from Tiffany, authorities say

Authorities accidental a jewel thief who is wanted successful transportation with crimes committed from Florida to South Korea stole a diamond ringing worthy $255,000 from a Tiffany store successful New York

NEW YORK -- A jewel thief who is wanted successful transportation with crimes committed from Florida to South Korea stole a diamond ringing worthy $255,000 from a Tiffany store successful New York by switching it with a cubic zirconia replica, authorities said.

The theft took spot connected March 4 astatine a Tiffany store successful Manhattan's Rockefeller Center complex, according to a transgression ailment filed by the territory attorney's office.

Yaorong Wan, 49, asked an worker to fto him spot respective pieces, including the quarter-million-dollar ring, according to the complaint. Wan near without buying thing and the worker enactment the ringing backmost successful the show case.

A week later, Tiffany employees discovered during a regular inventory that the diamond ringing had been replaced by a fake with a cubic zirconia stone.

Police detectives viewed surveillance footage from the store and saw Wan gaffe the genuine ringing into his thenar and power it with the fake, according to the complaint.

Wan is besides charged with stealing a diamond ringing worthy $25,000 from a Cartier store successful the Hudson Yards analyzable connected March 12. In the 2nd lawsuit helium pocketed the ringing and didn't permission a fake successful its place, according to the complaint.

Wan was arrested Friday and arraigned Saturday successful Manhattan transgression tribunal connected expansive larceny charges.

He has unfastened apprehension warrants successful New Jersey and successful Nassau County connected Long Island; is simply a fishy successful thefts from Cartier stores successful California and Florida; and besides is wanted successful South Korea connected charges of stealing from high-end jewelry stores, Assistant District Attorney Eliana Ramelson said astatine his arraignment.

Wan's attorney, Amanda Barfield of New York County Defender Services, declined to remark Monday.