Jewelers know what an important social media and marketing tool Facebook is, but now it’s proven useful as a stolen property recovery tool as well.
On December 26th, a Vermont man named Ryan Jarvis was shopping at a Burlington Zales store for engagement rings; after an hour of looking, Jarvis pocketed a 14kt white gold 4 prong engagement ring set with a 1.01-carat solitaire, and ran out of the store, and through an exit in the mall and into a parking garage, where he escaped.
Later that night, Jarvis proposed to Amber LaFountain over dinner with the stolen ring, which retailed for $3,199. LaFountain, like most newly engaged young people, excitedly posted pictures of the ring to her Facebook page.
Police, by then, had released a description of the stolen ring, and multiple anonymous reports flooded the station with tips on LaFountain’s uncannily similar new ring.
When police arrived at the couple’s home, the police reported that “While speaking with LaFountain she spontaneously asked if Jarvis had stolen the ring,” Burlington Police Officer Jesse Stewart wrote in the affidavit. “I asked her why she thought that and she reported that they did not have a lot of money and that she assumed so since the police were there.”
After LaFountain gave officers the ring to compare to the photos and serial number given by Zales, Jarvis turned himself in to the police.
According to the report, “He advised he selected a ring but knew that he could not afford it. He reported that he considered financing options but concluded that he would be unable to afford the ring he wanted. He reported he then ran out of the store with the ring. He advised he knew it was a stupid thing to do.”
Jarvis was charged with felony retail theft, a crime with a 10 year maximum jail sentence and a $1000 fine.
Liz for Raymond Lee Jewelers, South Florida’s choice for buying and selling engagement rings, wedding bands and wedding trends.