Heist with a sleight: Con man swipes $260K in diamonds; pleads guilty in Tiffany-Cartier theft case
After years of international crime, a 50-year-old Queens jewel thief has entered a guilty plea to stealing over $260,000 worth of diamond rings from Tiffany & Co. and Cartier, employing deception, sleight of hand, and fake jewelry.
Yaorong Wan acknowledged stealing expensive goods from the upscale Fifth Avenue shops of the luxury merchants in March of last year during his appearance before the Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday. At Tiffany's flagship shop, Wan utilized distraction methods and a phony ring to switch out a $225,000 diamond ring.
According to the New York Post, Wan visited the Tiffany store last year and asked about many pieces of jewelry, according to the prosecution.
The DA claims that he left without buying anything after exchanging the real platinum-mounted ring for a cubic zirconia imitation.
A little more than a week later, he hit Cartier once more while distracting workers and pocketing a $24,000 ring. Wan looked at two watches and two engagement rings at the Cartier store in Hudson Yards, but he pocketed one of the rings while the salesperson was preoccupied.
According to authorities, Wan's methods—rapid, deft hand movements, deception, and the calculated use of imitation jewelry—are typical of the upscale thefts that brought him notorious fame throughout the world.
Wan has a transcontinental criminal past. He has been connected to similar instances in New Jersey, California, Florida, and South Korea. Previously, Interpol wanted him in connection with a $330,000 diamond heist in South Korea. According to law enforcement officials, he committed robberies with the dexterity of a magician, targeting both smaller independent jewelers and international luxury names.
Using a sleight-of-hand maneuver, Wan allegedly stole a Chopard watch worth over $17,000 from London Jewelers in the Manhasset neighborhood of Nassau County in April of last year.
In 2018, Wan is also accused of stealing jewels valued at $332,000 in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
A
fter a joint NYPD, Nassau County Police, and US Marshals investigation, Wan was taken into custody at his Flushing, Queens, residence in May of last year. Officers found other stolen items during the arrest, including the $17,000 Chopard watch that had been reported missing from the jewelry store on Long Island.
Wan entered a guilty plea to second-degree grand larceny and was detained without bail because of pending warrants in other jurisdictions. He could spend three to nine years in New York State jail when he is sentenced on July 14, 2025.
In a statement announcing the plea, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, "This defendant stole hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of high-end jewelry using deceptive sleight-of-hand techniques."
"We've stopped his worldwide theft operation because law enforcement agencies worked together."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Heist with a sleight: Con man swipes $260K in diamonds; pleads guilty in Tiffany-Cartier theft case
After years of international crime, a 50-year-old Queens jewel thief has entered a guilty plea to stealing over $260,000 worth of diamond rings from Tiffany & Co. and Cartier, employing deception, sleight of hand, and fake jewelry. Yaorong Wan acknowledged stealing expensive goods from the upscale Fifth Avenue shops of the luxury merchants in March of last year during his appearance before the Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday. At Tiffany's flagship shop, Wan utilized distraction methods and a phony ring to switch out a $225,000 diamond ring. According to the New York Post, Wan visited the Tiffany store last year and asked about many pieces of jewelry, according to the prosecution. The DA claims that he left without buying anything after exchanging the real platinum-mounted ring for a cubic zirconia imitation. A little more than a week later, he hit Cartier once more while distracting workers and pocketing a $24,000 ring. Wan looked at two watches and two engagement rings at the Cartier store in Hudson Yards, but he pocketed one of the rings while the salesperson was preoccupied. According to authorities, Wan's methods—rapid, deft hand movements, deception, and the calculated use of imitation jewelry—are typical of the upscale thefts that brought him notorious fame throughout the world. Wan has a transcontinental criminal past. He has been connected to similar instances in New Jersey, California, Florida, and South Korea. Previously, Interpol wanted him in connection with a $330,000 diamond heist in South Korea. According to law enforcement officials, he committed robberies with the dexterity of a magician, targeting both smaller independent jewelers and international luxury names. Using a sleight-of-hand maneuver, Wan allegedly stole a Chopard watch worth over $17,000 from London Jewelers in the Manhasset neighborhood of Nassau County in April of last year. In 2018, Wan is also accused of stealing jewels valued at $332,000 in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. A fter a joint NYPD, Nassau County Police, and US Marshals investigation, Wan was taken into custody at his Flushing, Queens, residence in May of last year. Officers found other stolen items during the arrest, including the $17,000 Chopard watch that had been reported missing from the jewelry store on Long Island. Wan entered a guilty plea to second-degree grand larceny and was detained without bail because of pending warrants in other jurisdictions. He could spend three to nine years in New York State jail when he is sentenced on July 14, 2025. In a statement announcing the plea, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, "This defendant stole hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of high-end jewelry using deceptive sleight-of-hand techniques." "We've stopped his worldwide theft operation because law enforcement agencies worked together."
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
Jewel Thief Steals $260,000 In Diamonds From New York's Tiffany, Cartier
A notorious international jewel thief from Queens has pleaded guilty to a high-stakes theft spree targeting luxury jewellery stores, including Tiffany & Co and Cartier, where he swiped over $260,000 in diamond rings using sleight of hand and counterfeit gems, according to The New York Post. Yaorong Wan, 50, admitted in Manhattan Supreme Court to executing a pair of elaborate thefts in March 2024. At Tiffany's flagship Fifth Avenue store, Wan swapped a $225,000 diamond ring with a nearly identical fake using distraction tactics and misdirection. Just days later, he hit Cartier in Hudson Yards, pocketing a $24,000 ring while examining other high-end pieces and diverting staff attention. Authorities said Wan's techniques - rapid, precise hand movements paired with fake jewellery - reflect a pattern of sophisticated thefts that made him internationally infamous. He had previously been sought by Interpol for a $330,000 diamond theft in South Korea and has been linked to similar crimes in California, Florida, New Jersey, and abroad, as per the news report. Wan's criminal exploits extended to Long Island in April 2024, where he allegedly stole a $17,000 Chopard watch from London Jewellers in Nassau County using the same sleight-of-hand method. Following a multi-agency investigation, Wan was arrested in May 2024 at his Flushing, Queens home, where stolen items - including the Chopard watch - were recovered. He is being held without bail due to warrants in multiple jurisdictions, The Post reported. He pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and faces a sentence of three to nine years in state prison at his July 14, 2025 hearing. 'This defendant used deceptive sleight-of-hand techniques to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of high-end jewelry,' Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement announcing the plea. 'Thanks to the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, we've put an end to his global theft operation.'
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Diamond heist takes a wild turn as suspect swallows $700K worth of gems in bizarre attempt to evade arrest
Jaythan Gilder, a 32-year-old man, stole $770,000 worth of diamond earrings from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando. To evade capture, he swallowed the gems, leading to a two-week wait for their retrieval from his digestive system. Gilder, a repeat offender, faces robbery and grand theft charges in Florida and is wanted in Colorado for a similar 2022 incident. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Gilder has done this before Current situation FAQs A man named Jaythan Gilder, 32, stole diamond earrings worth $770,000 from a Tiffany & Co. store and then tried to escape by swallowing the gems before police could arrest him. He stole the diamond earrings from a store in The Mall at Millenia in Orlando. Gilder pretended to be a representative for an NBA player to gain access to the diamonds, as per being shown the jewelry in a private room, he grabbed two sets of earrings worth $609,500 plus $160,000 and ran away. Hours later, Florida Highway Patrol pulled over Gilder on Interstate 10 near Chipley in a rented Mitsubishi Outlander, as stated in the report by The Smoking arresting him, officers saw Gilder moving something in his mouth and refusing to spit it out. Cops warned him he'd get tased if he didn't open his mouth. He said through clenched teeth, 'I don't have to.' At first, police thought he was swallowing drugs. He claimed the white stuff on his lip was Abreva. A test showed no drugs, according to the his car, cops only found price tags and earring cards from Tiffany's, no diamonds. Cops guessed he had actually swallowed the diamonds and sent him to the hospital. Gilder refused an X-ray and didn't want treatment, as per the report by The Smoking jail, a body scan showed foreign objects in his stomach. He asked, 'Am I going to be charged with what's in my stomach?' He refused laxatives and told jail staff he was Muslim observing Ramadan, so he only ate after sundown. Police waited 2 weeks for him to pass the March 10, he passed two earrings, but they weren't the Tiffany ones, police are still checking where those came from. Later that same day, he passed three Tiffany earrings, and the last one came out on March 12. Tiffany's Master Jeweler cleaned and confirmed the diamonds before giving them back to the store's security team, according to the report by The Smoking 2022, Gilder swallowed earrings again after robbing a jewelry store in Colorado Springs. That time, the store owner shot him in the back during the the hospital, while under guard, he swallowed the earrings so police couldn't take them. Cops searched his poop but never found them, and scans showed nothing either, as per the report The Smoking is now locked up without bail in Florida, facing robbery and grand theft charges. He is also wanted in Colorado for felony charges from the 2022 robbery. His lawyer tried to get him temporary release to attend his mom's funeral, but a Florida judge said lawyer said he has PTSD and depression and needed to grieve. Prosecutors refused, calling him a habitual offender and an escape risk. Back in 2022, he had slipped handcuffs in a hospital and tried to escape through the ceiling, causing damage. His lawyer also claimed he had a 'limited criminal history,' but cops say his record is 20 years long, covering many states, as per the report by The Smoking Gilder, a convicted jewel thief, swallowed the diamonds to hide them from stolen Tiffany & Co. diamonds were worth about $770,000.
