Crimes and Misdemeanors

Celebrity Chef's Lamborghini Stolen in Daring Heist at San Francisco Dealership

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Mar 9th 2011 at 2:03PM

Cars get stolen all the time, but a few elements about this story make it stand out. First of all, this was no ordinary car. Secondly, it didn't belong to just anyone. And thirdly, it wasn't stolen with a simple coat hanger and a pair of pliers.

The story coming in from San Francisco reports the theft of a yellow 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo belonging to celebrity chef Guy Fieri from a local exotic car dealership. According to the report, police figure the thief climbed up onto the roof of the dealership, rappelled down on a rope, busted open the garage door and drove off with the Lamborghini.

[Source: San Francisco Chronicle]

Tags: car theft, celebrity chef, grand theft auto, guy fieri, lamborghini, lamborghini gallardo, san francisco, theft

$25 Million In Harry Winston Jewels Recovered In Paris Drain

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Mar 9th 2011 at 4:00AM

You never know where stolen jewels might turn up but this latest find seems like a scene straight from a movie. BBC News reported that some of the jewels stolen from the Harry Winston boutique in Paris in 2008 have been recovered. In December 2008 four armed men entered the store around closing time and walked off with more than $100 million in jewelry and diamonds. No one was injured. This theft did have one quirky detail, at least two of the thieves wore wigs and women's clothing and addressed some of the store's staff by name.

French police have found some of the jewelry, around $25 million worth, hidden in a drain in a Paris suburb. A total of 19 rings and three sets of earrings were found inside a plastic container which was set into a cement mold at a house in Seine-Saint-Denis likely secreted away by the crafty crooks. The home belonged to one of the people being charged in the robbery. In the last few years police have interviewed at least 25 people in connection with the robbery and nine people were charged and jailed in 2009.

Tags: harry winston, jewel theft, jewel thieves, jewelry, paris

Ponzi Schemer's Luxury Cars Go Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Feb 28th 2011 at 7:01PM

As our sibling site Autoblog mentioned earlier, the luxury cars of Ponzi schemer Byron Keith Brown are headed to auction in Maryland. Brown was convicted and given 15 years in prison for a scam that cost people a total of $17 million. The Baltimore Sun reported that the cars are being sold on March 1 as part of an auction run for the U.S. Treasury Department. Proceeds will be added to the U.S. Treasury's Asset Forfeiture Fund and net proceeds derived from the assets will be available as restitution for the victims of Brown's crimes.

Brown ran a company called "In God We Trust Financial Services" and several others under different names in Virginia and Maryland pushing an investment scheme that gave the appearance that people were sending him up to $1 million. Brown spent his money of a variety of flashy cars including a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago, a 2005 Rolls Royce Phantom, a 2004 Mercedes Benz Maybach 57, a 2006 Aston Martin and many more. A total of 17 cars are being sold, the complete list is at Mahheim Auctions. The auction takes place at the Manheim Baltimore-Washington location, 7120 Dorsey Run Road, Elkridge, MD, 21075.

Make sure you don't get caught in a Ponzi scheme, check out the tips below on how to avoid shady investments.

Tags: byron keith brown, ponzi scheme, ponzi schemer, treasury auction

International Jewel Thief Doris Payne Sentenced To Five Years

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Feb 11th 2011 at 4:01AM

It's the end of the line for international jewel thief Doris Payne. The charming octogenarian, who was known using her beauty and style to beguile jewelry store employees into accidentally handing over the goods, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her latest caper, walking in to a San Diego Macy's in January 2010 and walking out with a diamond ring worth nearly $9,000 that she did not pay for. Payne has admitted that she has stolen countless pieces of jewelry over more than six decades but in an interview with NBC San Diego she called the sentence unfair. She suffers from a lung disease and is concerned that she may go into respiratory failure.

Payne told NBC San Diego that she had wanted Queen Latifah to play her in the movie of her life. Halle Berry was attached to the project at one point although it's not clear if that movie is going forward. Payne's attorney is filing an appeal and Payne is hoping she can avoid prison for now and get medical attention. She expressed remorse and said she wants to get her book deal done and start a battered women's shelter.

Tags: doris payne, jewel thief

International Jewel Thief Doris Payne Awaits Sentencing

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Jan 14th 2011 at 6:01PM

International jewel thief Doris Payne proves you are never to old to have sticky fingers. Payne, who is 80, was convicted of walking in to a San Diego Macy's in January 2010 and walking out with a diamond ring worth nearly $9,000 that she did not pay for.

For decades, Payne has relied of her beauty and charm to beguile jewelry store employees into displaying treasures while she simply pockets the jewels when the clerk isn't looking. Payne has served time in six states and has a long Interpol record but ABC News reports that Payne's lawyer says that this conviction is a case of mistaken identity. The lawyer claims that Payne's notoriety has made made her an easy target. Halle Berry was attached to a project to play Payne in a big screen caper titled "Who Is Doris Payne?"

For her part, Payne seems to enjoy the attention, confirming that some of the stories about her, including legendary tales of thefts in Paris and Monte Carlo are true. She also can't seem to stay away from temptation, the LA Times says that a surveillance tape of her at a Scottsdale, Arizona Neiman Marcus store examining the jewelry counter may have played a role in keeping Payne from being released on bail while she awaits sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for February 9.

Tags: doris payne, jewel theft

Scrushy Jewels Raise Nearly $1.5 Million For Defrauded Shareholders

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 10th 2010 at 4:01AM

Ruth Madoff's diamond ring sold last month for $550,000 and this month it's Leslie Scrushy who has lost her ring. Scrushy is the spouse of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, who was found liable in civil court for an accounting fraud and ordered to pay $3.2 billion. Past sales of his cars, yachts and other belongings have raised money to help satisfy that debt. Mrs. Scrushy's jewelry raised nearly $1.5 million at auction on Thursday at Sotheby's with proceeds going to former HealthSouth shareholders.

Levy's Fine Jewelry has been handling the collection and contracted with Sotheby's to auction the nine best pieces including this 20-carat diamond ring valued at up to $700,000 which sold for $752,500. The sale also featured a platinum and diamond bracelet with a total of nearly 49 carats in diamonds valued at $150,000 to $200,000 which sold for $176,500. The sale was held to quiet allegations that Mrs. Scrushy had attempted to hide some of her husband's assets.

Tags: diamonds, HealthSouth Corp, jewelry, linda scrushy, ricahrd scrushy

Tony Accurso's Touch Yacht Up For Sale To Satisfy Tax Debt

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 10th 2010 at 2:02AM

Tony Accurso, a Quebec millionaire whose construction companies are facing federal tax evasion charges, is selling off his luxury yacht. Accurso owns a 120-foot yacht known as the Touch. The Toronto Sun reports that an Accurso company, Louisbourg Construction, pleaded guilty Tuesday to improperly claiming and deducting $1.7 million in expenses on the yacht as business expenses. Louisbourg and construction company Simard-Beaudry also pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion agreeing to pay $4.1 million in taxes plus an additional $4.1 million in fines by next summer. All that necessitated the sale of the Touch, an aluminum-hulled super yacht built in 2004 and refitted in 2008.

The yacht accommodates up to eight guests in a master cabin and three double cabins and has room for a crew of seven. It also has an on-board exterior hot tub, leather chairs on its top deck, wireless Internet, a private dining room, and several bars and lounges. The interior was designed by Quebec designer Danielle Vignault with gleaming teak wood finishes. It comes with a variety of toys including kayaks, water skiing equipment, wake boards, and three towable and inflatable inner tubes. The yacht has a cruising speed of 11 knots. It is for sale through Fraser Yachts for $7.9 million.

Gallery: Touch Yacht

Tags: megayacht, superyacht, tony accurso, touch, yacht for sale

Pete Sampras Loses The Majority Of His Trophies

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Dec 8th 2010 at 8:02PM

Legendary tennis star Pete Sampras has been the victim of a storage space robbery. Sampras, who amassed medals, trophies, plaques, rings and other pieces from winning 64 tournaments and being a finalist in many others, put much of his memorabilia in a storage center in West Los Angeles. Three weeks ago he found out that dozens of boxes, many containing these trophies, had been stolen. The LA Times quotes Sampras as saying that he has 13 of his 14 Grand Slam trophies but that his first Australian Open trophy is gone. Sampras also lost magazines with himself on the cover, related news stories and some other pieces that he treasured including a signed piano bench from Elton John and a signed guitar from Carlos Santana.

Sampras had rented two units to store furniture and boxes while he and his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson, and their sons Christian and Ryan moved from Beverly Hills to Thousand Oaks and a home in the hills surrounding Sherwood Country Club (this home was our estate of the day back in March when it was listed at $25 million). They later moved to Brentwood. Sampras was stunned to find out that his things had gone missing. He said that the police have no leads and Sampras has gone public in the hope that someone who knows something might come forward. Given the unique nature of these pieces, it's not likely that they would surface on the public market.

Tags: pete sampras, storage center, storage facilities, theft

Bernie Ecclestone Capitalizes on Mugging with Hublot Ad

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Dec 8th 2010 at 6:02PM

Late last month Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and his girlfriend were robbed outside his offices in London. The thieves reportedly punched and kicked Ecclestone and made off with some $300,000 in jewelry – including a special-edition Hublot wristwatch – leaving the octogenarian bruised and battered.

Never one to shy away from controversy or turn away an opportunity, however, Ecclestone has appeared in an ad for Swiss watchmaker Hublot bringing further attention to the incident.

The ad for the official Formula One timekeeper features a photo of Ecclestone's bruised face, accompanied by the quote "See what people will do for a Hublot". It is set to run this week in both the Financial Times and the International Herald-Tribune.

Tags: bernie ecclestone, ecclestone, f1, formula 1, formula one, hublot

Sotheby's To Sell Off Scrushy Jewels

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 27th 2010 at 9:02PM

Last time we heard about former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy he was losing one of his several homes in Alabama. But the Scrushy sell off continues. The Birmingham News reports that Sotheby's will auction off nine pieces of jewelry that once belonged to Leslie Scrushy, Richard Scrushy's wife. The pieces will be sold at Sotheby's New York on December 9, 2010. Richard Scrushy was found liable in civil court for an accounting fraud and ordered to pay $3.2 billion. Past sales of his cars, yachts and other belongings have raised money to help satisfy that debt.

Around 50 pieces of jewelry belonging to Mrs. Scrushy were liquidated as part of the settlement. Levy's Fine Jewelry has been handling the collection and contracted with Sotheby's to auction the nine best pieces including a 20-carat diamond ring valued at up to $700,000. The sale also include a platinum and diamond bracelet with a total of nearly 49 carats in diamonds valued at $150,000 to $200,000; a platinum, diamond and ruby ring made by Oscar Heyman & Brothers with a more than seven-carat marquis cut diamond; and three-carat diamond and pearl earrings made by Oscar Heyman & Brothers valued at $50,000 to $75,000 for the pair.

Tags: Healthsouth, Richard Scrushy, sothebys

Authorities Arrest Two More in Madoff Case

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 23rd 2010 at 9:02PM

Two years now since the collapse of Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme, the picture of the largest fraud ever perpetrated is becoming clearer all the time. And while Madoff himself insisted that he acted alone, investigators and prosecutors insist that a fraud of such magnitude would have to have required the complicity and support of an entire team. To that end, indictments have been handed to two additional former Madoff employees, who now await prosecution.

The indictments were reportedly handed to Jo Ann "Jodi" Crupi and Annette Bongiorno, both having been arrested by FBI agents and remain in custody pending $5 million in bail to be posted for each. The number of those indicted in the Madoff case has now reached eight as authorities strive to put the pieces back together.

Tags: Annette Bongiorno, bernie madoff, fbi, fraud, Jo Ann Crupi, Jo Ann Jodi Crupi, Jodi Crupi, madoff, ponzi, ponzi scheme

Wesley Snipes is Going to Jail

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) — Nov 23rd 2010 at 8:01PM

Wesley Snipes is to begin a three-year prison sentence shortly after having been convicted of tax evasion in the State of Florida.

The Hollywood actor best known for his action roles was found guilty of failing to file income tax returns for 1999 through 2001, despite having earned millions from his film roles. Five other felony charges were dismissed in the trial back in 2008, but Snipes (pictured above at last year's Venice Film Festival) recently lost an appeal for a retrial.

Since his request for a second trial was turned down by US District Court judge, Snipes is expected to be remanded to an as-yet undisclosed penitentiary outside the state in the near future.

Tags: convict, conviction, court, jail, prison, snipes, tax evasion, wesley snipes

Qatar Royal Crashes Lamborghini in London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) — Nov 23rd 2010 at 7:01AM

Back in August we told you about the Qatar royals' $2.5 million in customized baby blue supercars which were clamped by the cops in London outside Harrods, which they bought for $2.2 billion last spring. Now a member of Qatar's ruling Al-Thani clan has crashed one of them, the $550,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce (above) in London as well. The car was nearly totaled at Hyde Park Corner after a high-speed chase involving a white BMW M5, which got the worst of it. "The BMW smashed into the central reservation, bounced off and then hit the Lamborghini," an eyewitness told the London Evening Standard. "Both cars were definitely traveling very fast." There were no injuries and no arrests following the incident, which came after most of the Arab playboys had taken their toys home again after a high octane summer. "We thought it was going to quieten down but it's picking up again," solicitor Bruce Beringer, who lives in the posh neighborhood, told the paper. "It's like a second season. We are kept up until 4 am because of the noise of these people revving their engines and racing down the street. These Bugattis and Ferraris make a huge amount of noise."

Tags: BMW, Bugatti, car crash, Ferrari, Harrods, Hyde Park, Lamborghini, London, Qatar, supercar, UAE, UK

Another Bernie Madoff Yacht Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 18th 2010 at 11:02PM

Just when I think we've heard the last of Bernie Madoff something else comes up for auction. Classic Driver reported that Wyles Hardy & Co., on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP , the joint liquidators of Madoff Securities International, is selling off another of Madoff's "Bull" yachts. This one is a 88-foot Leopard yacht. We saw Madoff's other yachts auctioned off last year but this one was seized in France last year. It was just released from a full out-of-the-water maintenance and has been deemed ready for immediate use.

The yacht has twin MTU M92 engines that have seen less than 300 hours' running time and has a cruising speed of 33 knots. It has six berths include an owner's en-suite stateroom; VIP en-suite cabin; guest en-suite cabin; and three crew berths. The yacht was built in 2007 by Cantiere Navale Arno (Pisa, Italy) to Madoff's specifications and comes with monogrammed towels and bespoke bed covers embroidered with Ruth and Bernie Madoff's initials.

A recent auction of Madoff possessions brought in over $2 million.Even though the government has sold three homes, yachts and other Madoff belongings the total proceeds of approximately $28 million haven't come close to chipping away at the billions Madoff swindled from his investors. Madoff's New York City penthouse was sold to Al Kahn, the CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. That home had been most recently listed at $8.9 million, $1 million off the original price. Madoff's Montauk house sold for $9.41 million around a year ago, more than the $8.75 million for which it was listed. Madoff's Palm Beach home was the last to sell and was most recently listed at $6.5 million. A trio of yachts brought in around $1 million last year.

Tags: bernie madoff, bull yacht, Madoff auction, madoff bull yacht, madoff ponzi scheme, madoff securities, madoff yacht, MadoffPonziScheme

Madoff's Possessions Bring In Over $2 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) — Nov 15th 2010 at 9:01PM

Ruth Madoff's 10.5 carat diamond ring was the star of an auction held on November 13 at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City. The auction held by the U.S. Marshals Service sold off more of the possessions of Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff. ArtInfo reports that the auction brought in a total of over $2 million led by Mrs. Madoff's 10.54 carat emerald cut diamond set in platinum which sold for $550,000 to a buyer who declined to identify himself. Mrs. Madoff's diamond earrings went for $135,000 to an undisclosed buyer. Bernie Madoff's vintage steel Rolex "Moon Phase" watch sold for $67,500.

A Steinway & Sons grand piano made $42,000 but other auction items were all over the place. A king-sized bed that belonged to the couple went for $2,250 . The bed's buyer, Tally Wiener, a lawyer who helped liquidate Fairfield Sentry, a fund that fed money into Madoff's accounts before going under, has said he will offer the bed to Mrs. Madoff. Oddly enough Madoff's shoes, perhaps an obvious symbol of his profligate spending, seemed to do particularly well. A pair of black velveteen slippers with his initials in gold thread sold for a whopping $6,000 and a pair of shoes from the Manhattan store Belgian Shoes brought $2,900. What's even stranger is that 11 pairs of unused designer boxer shorts and 200 pairs of socks sold for $1,700 to one unidentified man.

Proceeds from the auction will be deposited in the United States Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund to compensate the victims of this multi-billion dollar fraud. Even though the government has sold three homes, yachts and other Madoff belongings the total proceeds of approximately $28 million haven't come close to chipping away at the billions Madoff swindled from his investors. Maoff's New York City penthouse was sold to Al Kahn, the CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. That home had been most recently listed at $8.9 million, $1 million off the original price. Madoff's Montauk house sold for $9.41 million around a year ago, more than the $8.75 million for which it was listed. Madoff's Palm Beach home was the last to sell and was most recently listed at $6.5 million. A trio of yachts brought in around $1 million last year.

Tags: bernie madoff, Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme, ponzi schemes

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