Jewel thief pleads guilty to US$260,000 Tiffany, Cartier heists in New York

A man wanted by Interpol pleaded guilty on Monday to stealing US$260,000 in diamonds from Tiffany & Co and Cartier last year through a series of “sleight-of-hand” tricks.

Yaorong Wan, 50, admitted switching a diamond ring worth US$225,000 for a fake one and then walking out of Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York in March 2024. About a week later, he pocketed a US$24,000 ring at the Cartier shop in Hudson Yards, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

Wan, who was previously wanted for a US$330,000 diamond theft in South Korea and was the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant, faces as much nine years in prison when he is sentenced next month. As of last year he was also a prime suspect in thefts at jewellery stores in New Jersey, California and Florida, the District Attorney’s office said.

“New York is a global fashion capital and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep ‘mom-and-pop shops’ and high-end retailers alike safe,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

Prosecutors said Wan went into the Tiffany shop last year and asked about several pieces of jewellery – including the stolen ring. He switched the real platinum-mounted ring for a cubic zirconia replica and left the shop without buying anything, Bragg said.

At the Cartier shop in Hudson Yards, Wan looked at two engagement rings and two watches, but was able to slip one ring into his pocket while the sales person was distracted.