Employee "Stole and Pawned $150,000 of Jewelry"
June 18, 26
(IDEX Online) - A former employee allegedly stole goods worth $150,000 from the jewelry store where she worked and pawned them at shops across South Florida, USA.
Investigators suspect Zabrina Herrera Acosta, 46, of exploiting a blind spot in the security camera system at YR Jewelry in Lake Worth between February and November of 2025, while the owner was away for an extended period. She was arrested on 11 June.
She's accused of pawning 126 pieces of jewelry at businesses in Palm Beach and Broward counties, for which she received more than $86,000. She allegedly presented herself as a legitimate jewelry dealer.
Acosta faces 60 charges including organized fraud, grand theft, dealing in stolen property and falsifying pawn records.
According to news reports she asked for time to repay, using her grandmother's gold, when she was finally confronted by the store owner, then left the country for Panama.
Detectives at Boynton Beach Police Department say Acosta admitted taking and pawning the jewelry. Many of the items she's accused of stealing have since been sold or scrapped, they said.
Pic, courtesy Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, shows Zabrina Herrera Acosta.