A quarter million dollars of gemstones and jewellery are the crux of an alleged jeweller-led scam in Oregon.
Douglas Wayne Gamble, owner of Timeless Jewelers in Salem, Ore., has been arrested by the Salem Police Felony Crimes Unit under multiple charges of theft.
Gamble became a person of interest in a series of theft reports filed with the Salem Police Department beginning in late 2022. Ten individuals reported the loss of money and property when doing business with the jeweller after entering contracts for the design, repair, or consignment of pieces, Salem Police Department reports.
In some cases, customers reported laboratory-grown stones were sold to them as natural diamonds, or diamond jewellery settings were swapped with synthetic stones. Others reported never receiving purchased items or pieces left with the shop for repair or other services.
The store unexpectedly closed last October without notification to customers or the return of their property.
Gamble was arrested without incident on Sept. 15. He faces multiple charges, including five counts of aggravated theft and six counts of theft in the first degree.
A conservative estimate of the total loss by Gamble’s customers is set at US$250,000, Salem Police Department reports.
