A Louisiana man is accused of stealing his girlfriend's ring, pawning it, and then using the proceeds to make a down payment on an engagement ring for her.
Man Stole a Ring
In a recently published article in MSN News, a Louisiana man was reported to steal his girlfriend's ring to be able to buy an engagement ring for her. Based on the reports, the man pawned the ring to generate funds.
The alleged incident occurred in 2019, and it's unclear why Pope was not arrested sooner. Pope returned two weeks later for the ring, which was worth almost $4,500, but it had already been melted down for scrap, according to police, as detailed in a published article in Newser,
As the Smoking Gun notes, separate addresses are listed for Pope and Futch; and she is referred to in an affidavit as Pope's "then-girlfriend," so they are presumably no longer together. Authorities are still verifying the status of their relationship.
FBI Says Jewelry Industry Loses $100 Million Every Year
According to the FBI, the jewelry sector loses over $100 million each year. Because the majority of these crimes involve the use of firearms, they often end in physical harm or death. The Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA), an organization that gathers data on jewelry crimes, is often used by the FBI and law police to coordinate searches.
According to JSA statistics, the number of jewelry thefts increased by 1 percent in 2019 compared to 2018. The current rise in jewelry thefts, according to JSA president John Kennedy in 2020, may be linked to a variety of relevant reasons.
Kennedy said that following many years of substantial decreases in dollar crime losses, the sector received a shock in 2019 as a result of high dollar crime losses generated by extremely active professional gangs, especially sophisticated burglary gangs, according to the Smoking Gun.
Another Man Committed the Same Crime
In a published article in NBC News, according to police, a Florida man stole an engagement ring and wedding rings from a girlfriend and used them to propose to another woman. Sheriff's officers in Volusia County stated an arrest warrant had been issued for Joseph Davis, 48 years old.
Their investigation began earlier this year, when a lady from Orange City, Florida, informed police that she learned that her partner was engaged to another woman. She saw a picture of the fiancée wearing a wedding band and engagement ring that was similar to her own from a previous marriage when she searched up the fiancée's Facebook profile, according to the sheriff's office.
When the Orange City lady examined her jewelry box, she discovered that her rings, as well as many other items of jewelry, were gone, including a grandmother's diamond ring. According to the sheriff's office, the total worth of the stolen goods was about $6,270.
The Orange City lady contacted her fiancée, who returned some of the things; and the two of them ended their relationship with Davis, also known as "Joe Brown" and "Marcus Brown," according to the sheriff's office.
Davis has an active arrest warrant for a hit-and-run crash with injuries in Oregon and has previously been arrested for possession of fictitious ID, filing a false police report, domestic assault, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell, according to the sheriff's office.