Selfies of woman “dripping in diamonds” on cruise led to her arrest for jewelry theft, police say

A woman in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for jewelry theft, after selfies that showed her “dripping in diamonds” on a cruise tipped off a criminal investigation, police said. 

Lucy Roberts, 39, was convicted of stealing more than £124,000 worth of jewelry and cash from a luxury store that she previously managed, according to Humberside Police in northeastern England, where the scheme took place. The haul included diamonds, gold and silver pieces, with the total value of stolen items equating to around $170,000.

Police said Roberts acquired the costly accessories during her tenure at the jewelry shop, when she would take items home with her and tell suspicious colleagues that she was just “sorting stock” for the store at her residence. 

Roberts left her job at the store after a year as its manager, police said. Then, from a cruise ship, she sent selfies to her former coworkers that pictured her wearing luxury jewels, which staff did not believe she’d purchased.

“Without a care in the world, dripping in diamonds, thinking she had deceived everybody, Roberts arrogantly posed on social media and sent pictures boasting to her ex-colleagues about the great time she was having on holiday, not thinking they would realise what she had been doing,” said Sgt. Krista Wilkinson, a detective with Humberside Police, in a statement.

A police investigation found that Roberts had falsified stock inventory and made fraudulent returns to the store, prompting a search of her home where some stolen jewelry was found. More than 260 items were discovered “strewn around in boxes beneath the bed and in cupboards,” Humberside Police said. 

Officers arrested Roberts at Heathrow Airport in London when she returned from the cruise. According to police, she was wearing stolen jewels, and more were found in her suitcase. They said body-worn camera footage showed Roberts at the airport attempting to remove and dispose of her jewelry.

Roberts denied the theft allegations, according to police.