A Wisconsin jeweler was arrested July 13 after he allegedly didn’t deliver and failed to return jewelry to customers. Tyler Kosmoski, 41, owner of the Diamond Factory in Ashwaubenon, Wis., has been charged with theft involving false representation of property and theft of movable property under $10,000.
According to the Ashwaubenon Department of Public Safety, customers complained their jewelry had not been returned after taking it to the Diamond Factory for repairs. In addition, people who had sold items to the store were paid with bad checks, and those who had put money down on jewelry claimed they received nothing for their down payments. (The Diamond Factory has been closed since July 7.) Kosmoski is also wanted for questioning for identity theft after he allegedly used an employee’s name to obtain a credit card.
Meanwhile, James Storzer, owner of Vosner Jewelers in Green Bay, Wis.—which is about a 10-minute drive from the defunct Diamond Factory—has assumed the task of helping Kosmoski’s customers get their jewelry back. He says sorting through the 150 pieces of jewelry worth $100,000 has been a “big mess,” but that he and his staff have returned merchandise to nearly half the victimized customers. Vosner Jewelers has also offered to complete unfinished repairs.
Returning important, meaningful pieces has meant a lot to Storzer. He recounts one woman’s particularly memorable story: “She was getting some prong work done on her wedding band. We turned it around in less than 24 hours so she could get married. Her reaction was unbelievable.”