International jewel thief caught by Nassau detectives sentenced
Yaorong Wan used a sleight-of-hand trick to steal a Chopard watch from London Jewelers in Manhasset last year.
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International jewel thief Yaorong Wan was sentenced to three to nine years in state prison on Monday after a guilty plea in June.
Wan, 50, used a sleight-of-hand trick to conceal and steal a Chopard watch, valued at over $17,000, from London Jewelers in Manhasset in April 2024, News 12 previously reported.
Wan was initially arrested at his Queens home in May 2024 by Nassau detectives, where they found more items from previous thefts.
In March 2024, Wan stole about $260,000 worth of diamonds from Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue after switching a real diamond ring for a counterfeit, according to the Manhattan District Attorney. A week later, the store found the cubic zirconia fake while doing a routine inventory check.
A day after the Tiffany & Co. counterfeit discovery, Wan left Cartier in Hudson Yards with a diamond ring worth $24,000 while an employee was distracted.
Wan, who was wanted by Interpol for a $332,000 jewelry robbery in Seoul, Korea, entered the U.S. illegally in December 2023, was caught and later released after pleading asylum.
