Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced yesterday that 50-year-old Queens resident Yaorong Wan pleaded guilty to a second-degree grand larceny charge in the New York State Supreme Court. Wan was charged with using a “sleight of hand” technique to steal approximately $260,000 worth of diamond rings from two renowned jewelry stores in New York in March 2024. As per the plea agreement, Wan is expected to be sentenced to 3 to 9 years in state prison on July 14, 2025.
Prosecutor Alvin Bragg stated, “Yaorong Wan utilized a magical ‘sleight of hand’ technique to steal $260,000 worth of diamonds from two top-tier jewelry stores. New York is the global epicenter of fashion, and we will continue to collaborate with law enforcement partners to ensure the safe operations of both small businesses and high-end retailers.”
According to court documents and Wan’s confession, on March 4, 2024, at 2:51 pm, Wan entered Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue and inquired about multiple pieces of jewelry, including a diamond ring valued at around $225,000. While examining the ring, Wan cleverly substituted a fake diamond ring for the genuine one, hiding the real ring in his hand and leaving the scene.
The staff later returned the fake ring to the display case without noticing any discrepancies. It wasn’t until the routine inventory check on March 11 that Tiffany & Co. realized the switch had taken place. The real ring featured natural diamonds set in platinum, while the fake ring had cubic zirconia set in 18K white gold and lacked the engravings, trademarks, and unique SKU number found on the authentic piece.
On March 12 of the same year at 1:30 pm, Wan visited the Cartier store at Hudson Yards and inquired about several pieces of jewelry, including two diamond engagement rings and two watches. Seizing the opportunity when the staff was distracted, Wan pocketed one $24,000 diamond ring without paying and left the store.
When Wan was arrested in 2024, it was revealed that he had illegally entered the U.S. from China at the San Diego border in December 29, 2023, as part of a unauthorized immigrant network. He was subsequently released. At the time of his arrest in May 2024, Wan was residing in Flushing, Queens.
Wan has been convicted of a second-degree grand larceny charge, a Class C felony, and is currently in the sentencing phase, with the sentencing scheduled to take place in July this year.