A notorious international jewel thief from Queens has pleaded guilty to a high-stakes theft spree targeting luxury jewellery stores, including Tiffany & Co and Cartier, where he swiped over $260,000 in diamond rings using sleight of hand and counterfeit gems, according to The New York Post.
Yaorong Wan, 50, admitted in Manhattan Supreme Court to executing a pair of elaborate thefts in March 2024. At Tiffany's flagship Fifth Avenue store, Wan swapped a $225,000 diamond ring with a nearly identical fake using distraction tactics and misdirection. Just days later, he hit Cartier in Hudson Yards, pocketing a $24,000 ring while examining other high-end pieces and diverting staff attention.
Authorities said Wan's techniques - rapid, precise hand movements paired with fake jewellery - reflect a pattern of sophisticated thefts that made him internationally infamous. He had previously been sought by Interpol for a $330,000 diamond theft in South Korea and has been linked to similar crimes in California, Florida, New Jersey, and abroad, as per the news report.
Wan's criminal exploits extended to Long Island in April 2024, where he allegedly stole a $17,000 Chopard watch from London Jewellers in Nassau County using the same sleight-of-hand method.
Following a multi-agency investigation, Wan was arrested in May 2024 at his Flushing, Queens home, where stolen items - including the Chopard watch - were recovered. He is being held without bail due to warrants in multiple jurisdictions, The Post reported.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny and faces a sentence of three to nine years in state prison at his July 14, 2025 hearing.
“This defendant used deceptive sleight-of-hand techniques to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of high-end jewelry,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement announcing the plea.
“Thanks to the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, we've put an end to his global theft operation.”
