NEW YORK CITY – A notorious international jewel thief has admitted to stealing over $260,000 in high-end jewelry from luxury retailers Tiffany & Co. and Cartier, ending a globe-spanning crime spree.
Yaorong Wan, a 50-year-old from Queens, pleaded guilty in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday to grand larceny after carrying out elaborate thefts using sleight-of-hand, misdirection, and fake jewelry.
In March 2024, Wan visited Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship and asked to see several rings. Using distraction tactics, he swapped a $225,000 platinum diamond ring with a counterfeit cubic zirconia version and left without buying anything.
Just days later, Wan struck again at Cartier in Hudson Yards, this time pocketing a $24,000 engagement ring while distracting staff with other luxury items.
Investigators said Wan’s techniques included magician-like precision and well-timed diversions. These tactics, coupled with replica jewelry, made him a high-profile figure in the world of luxury theft.
Wan’s criminal history spans continents. He was previously wanted by Interpol for a $330,000 diamond theft in South Korea, and has been linked to similar crimes in California, Florida, and New Jersey. In April 2024, he used a sleight-of-hand trick to steal a $17,000 Chopard watch from London Jewelers in Long Island.
He was arrested in May 2024 at his home in Flushing, Queens, after a joint investigation involving the NYPD, Nassau County Police, and U.S. Marshals. Officers recovered stolen items, including the missing Chopard watch.
Held without bail due to multiple outstanding warrants, Wan pleaded guilty to grand larceny in the second degree. He faces three to nine years in prison and will be sentenced on July 14, 2025.
“This defendant used deceptive sleight-of-hand techniques to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of high-end jewelry,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Thanks to collaboration between agencies, we’ve ended his global theft operation.”
