Doris Payne, who is 84 years old, has been named in a recent heist from North Carolina’s South Park Mall in which she is believed to have stolen a $33,000 diamond engagement ring.
Payne has been in the jewelry thieving business for 50 years, with crimes traced to Greece, Britain, France, Switzerland, Monte Carlo, and the United States.
Her method is tried and true: posing as a rich older woman, she asks to see several pieces, all of which are expensive, and while employees are confused at the number of high-end pieces that are out of the cases, she slips one onto her finger and leaves.
After the heist, a letter was sent around to several other jewelers, reports the Charlotte Observer.
“We’re talking about Doris Payne, and her reputation walks far ahead of her,” said Dovy Klarberg, co-owner of Diamonds Direct SouthPark.
“I’m sure Charlotte is just a blip on the map for her compared to Paris, Tokyo and Greece,” he said. “Certainly, her age and her persona … would never lend you any hints that she was a world-famous jewelery thief.”
“My guess is that Doris is long gone,” said Klarberg. “What makes her successful is that she’s kind of flying under the radar. She doesn’t have that typical smash-and-grab, hectic, violent jewelry heist tactic that you may be more familiar with in movies.”