Cops: Ohio woman suspected in theft

Published:

Updated: July 16, 2010, 4:39 PM ET

Cops: Ohio woman suspected in theft

Associated Press

 

WADSWORTH, Ohio -- A woman who tried to sell a $10,000 pendant stolen from a LeBron James business partner is a suspect in the case, police said.

The police incident report obtained Friday identified Vaneisha Robinson, 19, of Akron, as a suspect in the receiving stolen property investigation but didn't elaborate. No immediate arrests were made and police didn't immediately return calls Friday.

The white gold diamond-studded pendant is in the shape of James' basketball jersey. Maverick O. Carter, the CEO for James' marketing company, says it was stolen from him three years ago.

 

[+] EnlargeLeBron James Pendant
AP Photo/HO/International Gemological InstituteWhen Vaneisha Robinson bought the pendant at a yard sale, she thought it was costume jewelry. But, after having it appraised, the pendant she paid $5 for is worth nearly $10,000.

 

Robinson, an amateur boxer, said she bought it four years ago for $5 at a yard sale, recently got it appraised and put it for sale on eBay. She was on TV in Cleveland on Tuesday discussing her surprise at its value.

One day later, she received a call and was invited to the Carter house and was told James would be there to make a pendant offer she couldn't refuse.

But James wasn't there and a crowd of eight or nine people forced her to give up the pendant, she said. "I was scared for my life," Robinson told WEWS-TV.

"They pretty much accused me, they threatened me," Robinson said. "They told us that we weren't going anywhere until they got that pendant."

A woman called police about the commotion. In a call posted on WEWS-TV, the caller told the 911 operator, "She was pretty upset. I just kept walking just in case something was about to happen."

Police Sgt. James Elchlinger said he was able to determine that the item was one-of-a-kind and belonged to Carter. Police were checking for a theft/loss report.

Robinson has an unlisted phone and could not be reached for comment Friday on the initial findings by police in Wadsworth, located west of Akron and about 30 miles south of Cleveland.

Carter, who wasn't home at the time of the incident Wednesday, cited the ongoing investigation and declined comment Friday through James' spokesman, Keith Estabrook.

Last week, James upset many Cleveland fans with his decision to take advantage of his free-agent status to leave the Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat.

Entry #2,913

Comments

This Blog entry currently has no comments.

Post a Comment

Please Log In

To use this feature you must be logged into your Lottery Post account.

Not a member yet?

If you don't yet have a Lottery Post account, it's simple and free to create one! Just tap the Register button and after a quick process you'll be part of our lottery community.

Register