Ex-professor allegedly stole $45K in jewelry after infiltrating effectively off East Hasten elite

A retired college professor used to be charged with stealing thousands of bucks value of jewels after infiltrating effectively off circles alongside the East Hasten, prosecutors acknowledged Tuesday.

Lawrence Gray, seventy 9, used to be allegedly desirous in regards to the thefts of seven objects of luxurious and vintage jewelry, which he then offered by a Contemporary York City-based totally mostly public sale home for $45,000, the Prolonged island District Criminal reliable’s Put of enterprise acknowledged.

Gray — who taught at John Cabot University in Rome till he retired in 2011 — voluntarily turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday morning, in holding alongside with his defense authorized reliable.

Prosecutors alleged that Gray consigned the seven stolen objects between 2016 and 2018 — including a gold, silver and diamond pendant brooch, earrings and a compact from Italian jewelry firm Buccellati.

The other valuables incorporated a Van Cleef & Arpels ring and a nineteenth century English pocket watch, which Gray allegedly fraudulently offered by Doyle Auctioneers and Appraisers on the Upper East Side, the DA’s direct of enterprise acknowledged.

Just among the loot looks to were swiped from effectively off owners in Georgetown and Newport, Rhode Island, in step with a piece of writing revealed in The Washington Post final year.

Consistent with a civil lawsuit, Gray extinct the connections of a feeble lover, the now-deceased Jacqueline Quillen, to infiltrate tony social circles and snatch the costly objects appropriate out from below the owners’ noses, the document acknowledged.

The poke neatly with used to be filed in Washington, DC Superior Court by Quillen’s child Parker Quillen. It principal factors how art, cash and jewels — including a $17,000 diamond ring, a $10,000 Patek Philippe watch and $4,700 diamond earrings — allegedly went missing on 9 occasions when Gray used to be a guest within the homes of Jacqueline Quillen and her chums. 

The feeble political science professor, who lives within the DC-region, regarded in Prolonged island Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon hobbling on a cane however in every other case snazzily wearing khaki slacks and a navy blue blazer with a dress shirt and a tie. 

He used to be arraigned on an indictment charging him with astronomical larceny, possession of stolen property and fraud — and launched with out bail on the location he give up his passport.

“The defendant allegedly continuously offered stolen jewelry in show to enhance himself,” District Criminal reliable Alvin Bragg acknowledged in a assertion following the hearing.

“Contemporary York’s living as a world hub for public sale houses is diminished when items are illegally offered. We can proceed to be certain that that all transactions within the market – in spite of item – are carried out quite and in accordance with the law,” the assertion acknowledged.

Gray can be coping with prison prices in Rhode Island for theft, Prolonged island prosecutors acknowledged.

“He didn’t gain it,” his authorized reliable, Christopher Zampogna, acknowledged after the hearing. “Consistent with my data of the details up to now.”

Gray’s next hearing within the Prolonged island case used to be predicament for October 31.