Doris Payne
| Doris Payne | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Doris Marie Payne October 10, 1930 Slab Fork, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Criminal charge | Theft |
| Criminal penalty | 5 years imprisonment |
| Conviction(s) | Theft (January 2011) |
Doris Marie Payne (born October 10, 1930 in Slab Fork, West Virginia) is an American convicted jewel thief.
Payne was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia to a coal miner.
Payne's career as an international jewel thief spans six decades, with a criminal record dating back to 1952. Her modus operandi is to enter jewelry stores posing as a well-to-do woman, typically looking for a diamond ring. Using her charm, she would engage the clerk, asking to see an assortment of items. Eventually, she would "cause the clerk to forget" just how many items were outside the case; and, at some point, she would leave with one or two pieces.
Her crimes have spanned five decades. She has been arrested many times; she is a career criminal.
Payne is most noted for stealing a 10-carat diamond ring, valued at $500,000 (US), from Monte Carlo in the 1970s. She fled to France, but was detained in Nice and later extradited back to Monte Carlo, where she was held for nine months before being released, as the Monégasque authorities were unable to locate the stolen gem.
Payne was arrested in Ohio in the 1980s after she escaped from federal custody during a hospital visit.
On Friday, January 22, 2010, Payne was arrested in Costa Mesa, California for removing the tags from a $1,300 Burberry trench coat from a Saks Fifth Avenue store and subsequently leaving the store with the coat. In January 2011, at the age of 80, Doris was sentenced in a San Diego court to 16 months in prison for stealing a 1 carat diamond ring.
On October 29, 2013, Payne, age 83, was arrested on felony larceny charges for stealing a $22,500 diamond-encrusted ring in Palm Desert, California. Payne pled guilty. On April 30, 2014, she was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by two years on parole, and was ordered to stay away from jewelry stores. However, she was released three months later due to prison overcrowding. In July 2015 she was reportedly stealing again and was believed to have stolen a $33,000 (US) ring, although this has not been proven yet. On October 23, 2015 she was caught on security cameras putting Christian Dior earrings valued at $690.00 in her pocket at an Atlanta, Georgia Saks Fifth Avenue store. She was arrested and charged with shoplifting by Officers from the Atlanta Police Department.
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