Prosecutors are expected to decide today whether to charge a Seattle jewelry store owner after police say they found high-end stolen goods linked to a string of home invasions across the region.
The accused owns Thien Phuoc Jewelry in Seattle’s Rainier Valley and was arrested last week after detectives searched his store and found items believed to have been taken in recent robberies. He was released without bail while prosecutors review the case.
Among the items recovered were a Seattle Seahawks championship ring, a Seattle Sounders FC championship ring engraved with the victim’s name, and a diamond tennis bracelet. Police say all three were stolen during a June 7 home invasion at the Capitol Hill residence of rapper Macklemore. The victim confirmed the items were his after police sent him photos.
Detectives also found a rose-colored Rolex watch that matched the serial number of one taken in a different robbery. Another watch, featuring a San Francisco 49ers design, was also confirmed to have been stolen. More than $100,000 in cash was discovered in a safe at the store, along with all of the recovered jewelry.
Police said the valuable items were stored out of sight and were noticeably different in quality from the jewelry that was on display.
When questioned by investigators, the jewelry store owner said he bought the items at below-market prices but couldn’t say from whom—and had no receipts or paperwork for the purchases.
The case is part of a wider investigation into a series of high-end jewelry thefts in King and Snohomish counties. Detectives say several suspects appear to be connected, and phone records show at least one of them contacted the store owner shortly after some of the crimes.