Jewelry Thieves Pull Of Elaborate Holiday Heist Netting Them Almost $900K Worth Of Valuables (VIDEO)

Here's how three brazen bandits ransacked a Manhattan diamond store and walked away with nearly $900,000 worth of baubles in a heist reminiscent of the movie "Ocean's Eleven."

Police yesterday released a 24-second video of the thieves -- who wore masks, hats and dark clothing -- using their gloved hands to quickly empty display cases at Ultra Diamond on Sixth Avenue at 23rd Street, in the Flatiron
District, at 5 p.m. Christmas Day.

In a break-in style similar to one portrayed in the hit 2001 George Clooney movie about a Las Vegas casino robbery, the crafty crooks climbed to the roof of an adjacent building and crossed over to the roof of the store, which also houses a Burlington Coat Factory.

Two of them smashed a hole in the store's wall, possibly with a sledgehammer and crawled inside, according to law-enforcement sources.

To cover their tracks, they managed to disable some of the store's video cameras and its recording system.

But they didn't foil all of the surveillance equipment, because investigators found at least one camera still functioning, sources said.It provided the video that police released yesterday.

While inside, the bandits used a claw hammer to smash several glass display cases, and began piling up their loot.

As this was going on, one of the crooks used a cellphone to alert the third man, who snaked his way through the hole in the wall.

All three men, who seemed to be highly professional, then broke into an office in the store and looted more jewelry from a safe.

When they were done, the men left through the hole in the wall with their loot, which included gold and platinum wedding bands, diamond engagement rings, watches, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry.

The total haul was valued at $897,000, but cost $321,000 wholesale.

The thieves apparently left the way they came, via the adjacent building, while the streets below were largely deserted because of the holiday.

"We're extremely grateful that no one was in the store at the time," said Kris Land, a spokesman for Ultra. "It's a
heartbreaking situation."

The store also expressed gratitude to investigating police.

"We are extremely pleased with the amount of attention being put on this," Land said.

The suspects remain at large.

Police dismissed speculation that the heist was carried off by a disgruntled current or former worker for the diamond firm.NY POST

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Comment by Patricia F. Serrette on January 5, 2011 at 11:40am: Question......what happened to the alarm system? Is it safe to say that this was a "flawless" robbery? I wonder how they plan to unload their loot? :-).....Just saying! :-) Would you buy? Things that make you go hmmmm?? :-)

Comment by andy williams on January 1, 2011 at 7:08pm: thief don't like thief

Comment by Malcolm X on December 31, 2010 at 2:07pm: LOL JamRock you ain't never lie.

Comment by DIAMOND on December 31, 2010 at 3:47am: @ james each owners have different jewelry line some have estate jewelry antique jewelry ect.they have different value of insurance for jewelery.but for this situation yes go up a little only for this owner not the taxes.depands what our line have all platinum and18k diamond and color stone again the value) we have insurance for fedex brinks ups dunbar (insurance is very strick alarm system) especially on shows we have to get covered,

Comment by JamRockLady on December 30, 2010 at 9:05pm: @James Anderson...There's always a chance to get caught...if you're going to give it a go...go big...or go home! (disclaimer: I'm not advocating crime). LMHO! XD

Comment by James Anderson on December 30, 2010 at 5:36pm: @ KIM.......LIKE JAM ROCK SAID....IF YOU GONNA DO IT.....DO IT MDADOFF STYLE......NOW THATS WORTH THE RISK.....ROTFLMHO!!!!

Comment by Kim Wilson on December 30, 2010 at 5:33pm: Too many movies....dudes need to think bigger if they gonna steal in the post-Bush era...what next the male version of Set It Off?

Comment by James Anderson on December 30, 2010 at 3:39pm: @ DIAMOND....NOT TO MENTION THE OTHER OWNERS IN THE AREA WHOSE TAXES AND INSURANCE RATES WILL GO SKY HIGH NOW.....I KNOW I WORK IN THE INSURANCE FIELD!!!!

Comment by James Anderson on December 30, 2010 at 3:36pm: @ DIAMOND........AND LIKE I SAID....WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT STORE OWNERS TAXES AND INSURANCE BILLS GOING FORWARD!!!! TAHT IS THE REASON TAHT HOLLYWOOD NEEDS TO STOP PUTTING THESE TYPES OF MVIES OUT......DO YOU THINK THAT THESE SO CALLED "LOOSERS" WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS ON THIER OWN???? I MEAN REALLY....LIKEYOU SAID THEY ARE "LOOSERS".......THATS WHY THY HAD TO RESORT TO THIS!!!!!

Comment by DIAMOND on December 30, 2010 at 3:27pm: @ James the only bill we foot the investigation we as business in diamond district we paid taxes on our business and our paycheck plus employees and unemployment.to cover our employees.only a fool will not have a insurance to be diamond district.this seasons there is a lot of new faces in street.we have a lot undercover in streets.i am sorry for the employee with no job for this store.