A housekeeper at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove was taken into custody on April 27 after police said she stole a guest’s wedding ring in late February and later pawned it for $280. Police records describe the piece as an 18-karat white-and-yellow gold diamond ring valued at roughly $8,000.
How Investigators Say The Theft Unfolded
According to an arrest report reviewed by Local 10, the guest checked into the hotel the night of Feb. 25 and placed her jewelry in a travel box inside a cosmetic bag in the bathroom before heading out the next morning to go snorkeling. When she returned later that day, she found that housekeeping had cleaned the room and that the wedding ring was gone. She reported the theft to police on Feb. 27.
Hotel management later identified the housekeeper assigned to the room. Detectives were told that when a manager asked the employee about the missing jewelry, the housekeeper responded, “Not in the bathroom,” even though the manager had not mentioned where in the room the items had been stored, according to the report.
Paper Trail Leads To A Pawn Shop
Investigators traced the missing band to a March 7 transaction at P&S Jewelry, where police said the housekeeper received $280 for the ring. The description on the pawn slip, listed as an 18-karat white-and-yellow gold band reportedly set with about 75 round-cut diamonds and two emerald-cut stones, matched the guest’s report, and detectives placed a hold on the item at the shop, police told WSVN.
Arrest And Booking
Miami police said they located and arrested 46-year-old Odessa Natasha Wray on April 27. She was booked on charges of grand theft, dealing in stolen property and providing false verification to a pawnbroker, according to Local 10. Authorities said Wray admitted to taking the ring and pawning it. She was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Tuesday morning.
What The Charges Mean Under Florida Law
Under Florida’s theft statute, taking property worth thousands of dollars is treated as grand theft, a third-degree felony for items valued between $750 and $19,999 that can carry a sentence of up to five years in prison, according to the Florida Senate. The state’s pawnbroking and secondhand-dealer laws require detailed transaction records and identification, and knowingly giving false verification to a pawnbroker is a separate crime under state law, according to the Florida Senate. Those rules are designed to help officers track and recover stolen property.
Next Steps
Investigators say the ring is being held as evidence while the case moves through the court system. Prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges or add counts. The victim’s name has not been released.
