Woman Jailed For Swapping Diamonds Worth 4.2 Million Pounds For Pebbles

A London Court jury found her guilty of conspiracy to steal. The judge called the heist "highly sophisticated and audacious", involving "brazen deception".

A jewel thief was jailed for more than five years in Britain on Wednesday for stealing millions of pounds worth of diamonds by switching them with pebbles in a daring sleight of hand. Lulu Lakatos, 60, posed as a gem expert under the alias "Anna" to gain access to the jewels worth a total of £4.2 million ($5.8 million, 5.0 million euros). She claimed she had been sent to appraise the gems by a wealthy Russian client before swapping them for the worthless stones. A jury at Southwark Crown Court in south London found her guilty of conspiracy to steal. The judge called the heist "highly sophisticated and audacious", involving "brazen deception".