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Ex-Jewelry Store Manager Sentenced to 28 Months After Selfies Expose $170,000 Theft

Coworkers flagged holiday selfies showing missing stock, prompting investigators to uncover yearlong inventory fraud with hidden stashes of stolen jewelry.

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Overview

  • Lucy Roberts, 39, pleaded guilty to theft by an employee and received a 28-month prison term.
  • She admitted to stealing more than $170,000 in diamonds, gold, silver, bespoke jewelry and cash during her year managing a high-end shop.
  • The scheme unraveled after she shared cruise selfies wearing the missing items, leading coworkers to notify Humberside Police.
  • Officers arrested her at London’s Heathrow Airport when she was found wearing stolen pieces and body-camera footage captured her attempting to discard additional items.
  • A home search uncovered thousands of pounds’ worth of pilfered jewelry hidden under her bed and in cupboards, and her former employer said it was relieved to have closure.