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| Watchful Pawn Shop Leads to Gem Thief Suspect |
By Kim Skornogoski - Great Falls Tribune
A Great Falls jewelry store owner is crediting an alert pawn shop
owner with helping recover $15,000 in diamonds missing from her
store since May.
Doug Keller, 44, was charged with felony theft in Justice Court,
where his bail was set at $10,000.
Police caught up to Keller last Friday after loose diamonds began
showing up at Alias Smith & Jones pawn shops.
Diamonds by Design owner Allyson Dimke still doesn't know how
$31,000 in cut, loose diamonds were stolen from her store at 423
Central Ave. She discovered them missing May 14 when she went to
retrieve them from her safe.
Security is tightest at night, leading Dimke to believe the
diamonds were taken during business hours, perhaps aided by the
confusion of maintenance a the custom design shop.
Detective Eric Baumann said officers found five diamonds, ranging
in size from a half carat to a full carat, in their original case, hidden
beneath the carpet in Keller's Triple Crown motel room. The carpet
pad beneath had been cut away, completely disguising the location
of the diamond case.
Police are looking for a second suspect who may have the
remaining stolen diamonds, which are all larger than a carat.
Keller, who has a history of petty theft, burglary, and forgery
charges, was booked into the Cascade County regional jail a week
after the May diamond robbery on unrelated misdemeanor theft
charges. He was released Aug. 18.
Last Thursday night, 15 minutes shy of closing, someone came
into the Alias Smith & Jones shop at 312 Central Ave. W., to sell a
loose diamond for $100. The next day, the same person sold a
second diamond at the Pawn shop's downtown location at 700 1st
Ave. S.
Owner Charles Conley remembered police listing the diamonds
as stolen back in May and immediately reported it.
A Great Falls jewelry store owner is crediting an alert pawn shop
owner with helping recover $15,000 in diamonds missing from her
store since May.
Doug Keller, 44, was charged with felony theft in Justice Court,
where his bail was set at $10,000.
Police caught up to Keller last Friday after loose diamonds began
showing up at Alias Smith & Jones pawn shops.
Diamonds by Design owner Allyson Dimke still doesn't know how
$31,000 in cut, loose diamonds were stolen from her store at 423
Central Ave. She discovered them missing May 14 when she went to
retrieve them from her safe.
Security is tightest at night, leading Dimke to believe the
diamonds were taken during business hours, perhaps aided by the
confusion of maintenance a the custom design shop.
Detective Eric Baumann said officers found five diamonds, ranging
in size from a half carat to a full carat, in their original case, hidden
beneath the carpet in Keller's Triple Crown motel room. The carpet
pad beneath had been cut away, completely disguising the location
of the diamond case.
Police are looking for a second suspect who may have the
remaining stolen diamonds, which are all larger than a carat.
Keller, who has a history of petty theft, burglary, and forgery
charges, was booked into the Cascade County regional jail a week
after the May diamond robbery on unrelated misdemeanor theft
charges. He was released Aug. 18.
Last Thursday night, 15 minutes shy of closing, someone came
into the Alias Smith & Jones shop at 312 Central Ave. W., to sell a
loose diamond for $100. The next day, the same person sold a
second diamond at the Pawn shop's downtown location at 700 1st
Ave. S.
Owner Charles Conley remembered police listing the diamonds
as stolen back in May and immediately reported it.
"It's fairly unusual for us to get loose stones, and usually people
don't sell nice jewelry like that; they usually loan against it," Conley
said. "I was pretty suspicious after the first one, then when the
second one came in, I was sure it was from Diamonds by Design."
Police interviewed the person named on the pawn ticket who
identified Keller as the source and even tipped officers to his secret
hiding place.
Dimke didn't recognize Keller's picture, but could immediately
identify her missing gems.
"When I saw them I started crying," she said Monday. "Thrilled
doesn't begin to describe how I'm feeling. If it wasn't for Charles
Conley, this case would never have gotten this far."
don't sell nice jewelry like that; they usually loan against it," Conley
said. "I was pretty suspicious after the first one, then when the
second one came in, I was sure it was from Diamonds by Design."
Police interviewed the person named on the pawn ticket who
identified Keller as the source and even tipped officers to his secret
hiding place.
Dimke didn't recognize Keller's picture, but could immediately
identify her missing gems.
"When I saw them I started crying," she said Monday. "Thrilled
doesn't begin to describe how I'm feeling. If it wasn't for Charles
Conley, this case would never have gotten this far."
| Great Falls Man Helps Police Find 18-year-old Suspected of Theft |
By Tribune Staff - Great Falls Tribune
A Great Falls pawn shop employee helped authorities catch an
18-year-old Great Falls man suspected of stealing more than
$15,000 worth of items from a ranch near Augusta.
Owners of the Diamond Bar X Christian Guest Ranch near
Augusta recently reported a vandalism to the Lewis and Clark County
Sheriff's Office. In addition, the owners contacted every pawn shop in
Great Falls with a list of the items taken.
Items missing included jewelry, three rifles, binoculars, spotting
scope, and cash.
An employee at the Westside Alias Smith & Jones Pawn Shop
contacted the Great Falls Police Department around noon when an
18-year-old Great Falls man entered the store attempting to pawn
items similar to the description given by the victims.
Police took the man, whose name was not released, into custody
and interviewed him at the police station. Detective Eric Baumann
said the man admitted to the theft.
Authorities released the man pending charges in Lewis and Clark
County.
A Great Falls pawn shop employee helped authorities catch an
18-year-old Great Falls man suspected of stealing more than
$15,000 worth of items from a ranch near Augusta.
Owners of the Diamond Bar X Christian Guest Ranch near
Augusta recently reported a vandalism to the Lewis and Clark County
Sheriff's Office. In addition, the owners contacted every pawn shop in
Great Falls with a list of the items taken.
Items missing included jewelry, three rifles, binoculars, spotting
scope, and cash.
An employee at the Westside Alias Smith & Jones Pawn Shop
contacted the Great Falls Police Department around noon when an
18-year-old Great Falls man entered the store attempting to pawn
items similar to the description given by the victims.
Police took the man, whose name was not released, into custody
and interviewed him at the police station. Detective Eric Baumann
said the man admitted to the theft.
Authorities released the man pending charges in Lewis and Clark
County.