Miami detectives say a Michigan man turned a six-figure luxury watch into Rolexes and cash at a downtown jewelry store, and he is now facing felony charges tied to the deal. Prosecutors allege a gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that was believed to be stolen was sold off in the city, and court records cited in local reporting say a fingerprint on a sales form helped trace the watch back to the seller. An arrest warrant calls for full extradition if he is found in Florida, and bond was set at $30,000.
According to WSVN, the case kicked off on Sept. 30, 2024, when a California seller messaged an Instagram account called “Gallery Watch Spot” offering the gold Royal Oak for $116,000. Investigators say the account’s representative, later identified as Nono Kwette Vandester Forma, asked that the watch be shipped to an address in Tonawanda, New York. The seller later reported the timepiece stolen to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Miami is no stranger to hot luxury watches, and authorities say everything from intercepted packages to in-person cons helps keep that underground market stocked. Local coverage has recently highlighted similar patterns, including a June investigation into a UPS driver accused of opening packages along his Miami-Dade route and stealing a $55,000 Rolex, as detailed by Local 10, and probes into three-card monte crews that turned up stolen watches, reported by the Miami Herald.
How Investigators Say The Downtown Deal Went Down
Investigators say the Royal Oak resurfaced at G Luxe Jewelers in downtown Miami. Store records show it was sold there on Oct. 7, 2024. An affidavit cited in coverage alleges Vandester Forma filled out and signed a secondhand dealer’s property form and walked away with two Rolexes, a GMT-Master II and a Date-Just, plus $30,500 in cash. A fingerprint on that form was later matched to him, which prosecutors say led them to seek an arrest warrant, according to WSVN. G Luxe advertises online through its website as a buyer and seller of luxury watches in Miami.
Charges And What Comes Next
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution, and the arrest warrant reportedly calls for full extradition if Vandester Forma is located in Florida. He is charged with dealing in stolen property, pawnbroker fraud and an organized scheme to defraud, all felony counts. Bond was set at $30,000, and upcoming court filings are expected to clarify whether any additional defendants or related charges emerge.
The jewelry shop named in the records did not immediately offer public comment. Investigators have not said whether this case is part of a wider fencing operation, and prosecutors have not released further information beyond what is described in the affidavit summarized in media reports.
