Lucy Roberts, a 39-year-old former manager of a British jewelry shop, was sentenced to 28 months behind bars. She was caught stealing more than $170,000 in jewelry and cash from her employer. Her vacation selfies were a red flag that raised the eyebrows of her employees. They displayed other stolen jewelry on her while she was wearing it.
Having worked in a high-end gemstone jewelry shop where she had continuous access to very valuable items, Mrs. Throughout her year of employment, she frequently took jewelry home, claiming to be “conducting work at home and sorting stock for the workshop.” This rationale was eventually found to be pretty flimsy by her peers—particularly when she unexpectedly resigned and left for a non-communicative vacation.
After Roberts left, her former coworkers started to put a few pieces together when it came to the vanished stock. Police later discovered “thousands of pounds worth of jewelry strewn around in boxes beneath the bed and in cupboards” at her home. Initially, Roberts denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she had borrowed some items from a coworker and that others had been planted in her bags.
Months later, Roberts pleaded guilty to the number of theft by an employee after the evidence against her piled up. The court indicated that in addition to diamonds and gold, she had stolen custom-designed jewelry and cash. Police arrested her as she prepared to leave London’s Heathrow Airport. While on escort, they were able to record body camera footage of her attempting to dispose of additional stolen jewelry.
Broke as hell, dripping in diamonds, without a care in the world, convinced she had played everyone for a fool, said Detective Sgt. Krista Wilkinson, highlighting Roberts’ lack of concern for the effect of her behavior.
Following a lengthy and thorough investigation, Roberts’ former employer said they were pleased with the jury’s decision. The store stated they were “pleased to finally have closure on the matter after several years.”
After collecting all the evidence, authorities came to the shocking conclusion that Roberts’ fabulous vacation selfies were the key. That’s why those seemingly innocuous photos were so pivotal in unraveling her scheme. Her coworkers sometimes identified the stolen merchandise she boasted about online, causing them to inform their suspicions to managers.
