Tom_in_CA
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- Mar 23, 2007
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It's been a few years since I read this on an md'ing forum, and .... since then .... I thought it was interesting enough to re-post the account. It's been a few years, so here it is again. I've long-since lost the original link, but the true story went something like this:
A young couple was walking through a parking lot, in a small NW state (OR? WA?) parking lot at a shopping center, on their way in to a grocery store. It was a small town, with a single shopping center if I recall. While walking, the lady glanced down and spotted something shiny: a lady's gold ring. It had an enormous diamond looking stone in it. So big that they naturally assumed it was Cubic zirconia. She put it in her purse. Later, when they got home, she took it out for closer examination. This time, with a magnifying glass and better light, they could see that it was marked gold on the inside of the band. Still though, the stone was so big, that they assumed it was probably costume jewelry.
Eventually, their curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to go to the local jeweler (a single jeweler in this small town) to see if a) is it real gold ? b) is that a real diamond? c) What's it worth ? The jeweler looked at it under his scope as best he could, and said: "Well, I'm not a gemologist. But the travelling gemologist makes his rounds to this part of the state, and passes by here a time or two per month. He's coming by in a few days. So if you want to leave it here, with your name and #, I'll have him take a look at it."
So the young couple did as the jeweler said, and left the ring with the small town jeweler. A few days later, the travelling gemologist came by on his rounds to that particular store. The jeweler brought out the ring, and said "a couple came by asking if this was real, what it's worth, etc...". So the gemologist started studying it under his equipment, but then .... all of the sudden something looked earily familar. He reached into his briefcase, looked through some papers, and pulled out a "B.O.L." issued by the FBI for a stolen ring. The alert had gone out to pawn shops, and any other of various places where someone might try to fence a stolen ring. And this fax had shown up on the gemologist fax machine, a few days earlier. As he held up the grainy photo of the ring, and compared it to the ring he had in his hand, it was a match !
So at the bottom of the fax, it instructed anyone who sees this ring, to call a certain FBI ph.#. So the 2 jewelers called the number. The FBI field office, which was several hours from this town, asked the men if they would please hold it, and they would immediately send some investigators. Within a few hours, FBI agents came into the store, and looked at the ring. Then looked at the BOL. Yup a match. So they turn to the store owner and ask: "Where did you get this?". The store owner finds the paper with the contact info, and hands it to the LEO's.
The FBI then decided that they would do a sting, and entice the people to come in. So they staged a phone call where they call and say: "Hello. This is the such & such jewelry store. The gemologist has looked at the ring. Do you want to come in and we'll tell you more please?". To which the couple ask "is it real? what's it worth?", etc... To which the jeweler just says "come in, and we'll tell you in person". Within 10 minutes, the couple comes through the doors. The FBI spring out from hiding and throw the cuffs on them !
Naturally the couple is very confused. Because they didn't "steal" it. They have no idea what is going on. When they are told that the ring is stolen, they insist that they only "found" it. To which, of course, you can be the LEO's are saying "Sure buddy. That's what they ALL say".
Part II to follow .......
A young couple was walking through a parking lot, in a small NW state (OR? WA?) parking lot at a shopping center, on their way in to a grocery store. It was a small town, with a single shopping center if I recall. While walking, the lady glanced down and spotted something shiny: a lady's gold ring. It had an enormous diamond looking stone in it. So big that they naturally assumed it was Cubic zirconia. She put it in her purse. Later, when they got home, she took it out for closer examination. This time, with a magnifying glass and better light, they could see that it was marked gold on the inside of the band. Still though, the stone was so big, that they assumed it was probably costume jewelry.
Eventually, their curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to go to the local jeweler (a single jeweler in this small town) to see if a) is it real gold ? b) is that a real diamond? c) What's it worth ? The jeweler looked at it under his scope as best he could, and said: "Well, I'm not a gemologist. But the travelling gemologist makes his rounds to this part of the state, and passes by here a time or two per month. He's coming by in a few days. So if you want to leave it here, with your name and #, I'll have him take a look at it."
So the young couple did as the jeweler said, and left the ring with the small town jeweler. A few days later, the travelling gemologist came by on his rounds to that particular store. The jeweler brought out the ring, and said "a couple came by asking if this was real, what it's worth, etc...". So the gemologist started studying it under his equipment, but then .... all of the sudden something looked earily familar. He reached into his briefcase, looked through some papers, and pulled out a "B.O.L." issued by the FBI for a stolen ring. The alert had gone out to pawn shops, and any other of various places where someone might try to fence a stolen ring. And this fax had shown up on the gemologist fax machine, a few days earlier. As he held up the grainy photo of the ring, and compared it to the ring he had in his hand, it was a match !
So at the bottom of the fax, it instructed anyone who sees this ring, to call a certain FBI ph.#. So the 2 jewelers called the number. The FBI field office, which was several hours from this town, asked the men if they would please hold it, and they would immediately send some investigators. Within a few hours, FBI agents came into the store, and looked at the ring. Then looked at the BOL. Yup a match. So they turn to the store owner and ask: "Where did you get this?". The store owner finds the paper with the contact info, and hands it to the LEO's.
The FBI then decided that they would do a sting, and entice the people to come in. So they staged a phone call where they call and say: "Hello. This is the such & such jewelry store. The gemologist has looked at the ring. Do you want to come in and we'll tell you more please?". To which the couple ask "is it real? what's it worth?", etc... To which the jeweler just says "come in, and we'll tell you in person". Within 10 minutes, the couple comes through the doors. The FBI spring out from hiding and throw the cuffs on them !
Naturally the couple is very confused. Because they didn't "steal" it. They have no idea what is going on. When they are told that the ring is stolen, they insist that they only "found" it. To which, of course, you can be the LEO's are saying "Sure buddy. That's what they ALL say".
Part II to follow .......
