A California diamond merchant came to Las Vegas last year with a fortune in his pants.
He lost it at the Spearmint Rhino "gentleman's club,'' setting off a multi-million dollar theft investigation that has a former NFL football player and his schoolteacher wife facing possible prison terms.
The Las Vegas diamond caper began on June 2, 2009 when high-end jewelry dealer Eli Abdalnour blew into town carrying $10 million in rare stones in "a small black zip-up jewelry bag ... in the front of his pants," according to court documents.
After just a half-hour at the famed strip club he left $10 million lighter. Abdalnour later told police he "did not know how the pouch was removed from his waistband, and stated that he knew he last had it while seated at the Spearmint Rhino."
An international investigation by Las Vegas police netted three arrests, and on Friday a Clark County grand jury handed down indictments against former club bouncer Matt Keneley, 36, and his wife, Antoinette Keneley, 33. Each face three charges, including felony possession of stolen property and conspiracy to possess stolen property, a gross misdemeanor. If convicted, they each face one to 10 years in prison.
Abdalnour did not respond to calls for comment Friday, but court papers say he was in Las Vegas for the 2009 JCK Jewelry Show at the Sands Convention Center when he decided to visit the strip club. After just 30 minutes there, he was called away to a business meeting .
Soon after, Abdalnour realized the black pouch was gone and he raced back to the club, where a manager returned the pouch, which had been found by Matt Keneley. Abdalnour gave the manager $3,200 to show his appreciation.
But back at his hotel, Abdalnour realized two diamond rings were missing. One had a 3.01 karat diamond with a purplish-pink hue and two yellowish diamonds on the side, with a retail value of $2 million. The other had a 10.05 karat princess-cut diamond, with two 1.6 karat baguettes diamonds and multiple diamonds on the shank. It was worth $960,000.
Back again at the club, Abdalnour told the manager he would pay $10,000 for the return of the rings, and wouldn't contact authorities. He told the manager the diamonds were rare and would be hard to move on the open market. He went to police when the rings weren't returned.
A break in the case came July 30, 2009, when Abdalnour learned that a diamond with a purplish-pink hue had turned up in a New York City store. Three gemologists confirmed it was his.
Las Vegas police detectives traced the ring to Harry Chandi, a jewelry dealer in the Cayman Islands. Chandi, contacted in London, England, told investigators he bought the $2 million stone for $7,000 and two loose diamonds. He picked the Keneleys out of a photo lineup.
Investigators next learned the Keneleys sold the two loose diamonds from Chandi in Los Angeles for $18,000, and peddled the remaining diamonds from Abdalnour's pouch for $18,000 at a pawn shop in Dana Point, Calif.
Before going to the Caymans, the couple had asked a family friend who worked in the jewelry business, Richard Cullinan, how to sell diamonds they hoped would fetch $1.5 million. Cullinan told them moving "hot" stones would be hard, and helped sell the 10.05 karat diamond for $55,000 to the Gold Rush jewelry store, in the 8100 block of Sahara Avenue.
All told, the rocks netted just $98,000, 3.3 percent of their retail value. The Keneleys gave Cullinan $5,000, paid the note on their GMC Yukon, covered day-to-day expenses and financed the Caymans trip.
Police later recovered about $14,000 in cash from a safe deposit box. Authorities have yet to find the 10.05 karat princess cut diamond, which the Gold Rush said was sold to an unknown party in California.
After they were arrested on Aug. 27, 2009, the Keneleys confessed and wrote letters of apology to Abdalnour, according to court documents.
Cullinan in February pleaded guilty to attempted possession of stolen property, a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced in August by Judge Valorie Vega to three years probation.
Matt Keneley is free on $50,000 bond. A two-time Academic All-American and starting lineman at the University of Southern California, he was drafted by the New York Giants in 1997 but played only seven NFL games for the San Francisco 49ers in 1999. In 1998 he played for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League, and in 2001 played for the upstart XFL football league's Los Angeles Xtreme. His attorney, Tom Pitaro, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Antoinette Keneley was released on her own recognizance. She is listed as a third-grade teacher at John C. Bass Elementary School. A Clark County School District spokesman confirmed she is still employed by the district. Her attorney, Greg Knapp, declined to comment.
Employees of the Spearmint Rhino said Friday they were not authorized to comment.
He lost it at the Spearmint Rhino "gentleman's club,'' setting off a multi-million dollar theft investigation that has a former NFL football player and his schoolteacher wife facing possible prison terms.
The Las Vegas diamond caper began on June 2, 2009 when high-end jewelry dealer Eli Abdalnour blew into town carrying $10 million in rare stones in "a small black zip-up jewelry bag ... in the front of his pants," according to court documents.
After just a half-hour at the famed strip club he left $10 million lighter. Abdalnour later told police he "did not know how the pouch was removed from his waistband, and stated that he knew he last had it while seated at the Spearmint Rhino."
An international investigation by Las Vegas police netted three arrests, and on Friday a Clark County grand jury handed down indictments against former club bouncer Matt Keneley, 36, and his wife, Antoinette Keneley, 33. Each face three charges, including felony possession of stolen property and conspiracy to possess stolen property, a gross misdemeanor. If convicted, they each face one to 10 years in prison.
Abdalnour did not respond to calls for comment Friday, but court papers say he was in Las Vegas for the 2009 JCK Jewelry Show at the Sands Convention Center when he decided to visit the strip club. After just 30 minutes there, he was called away to a business meeting .
Soon after, Abdalnour realized the black pouch was gone and he raced back to the club, where a manager returned the pouch, which had been found by Matt Keneley. Abdalnour gave the manager $3,200 to show his appreciation.
But back at his hotel, Abdalnour realized two diamond rings were missing. One had a 3.01 karat diamond with a purplish-pink hue and two yellowish diamonds on the side, with a retail value of $2 million. The other had a 10.05 karat princess-cut diamond, with two 1.6 karat baguettes diamonds and multiple diamonds on the shank. It was worth $960,000.
Back again at the club, Abdalnour told the manager he would pay $10,000 for the return of the rings, and wouldn't contact authorities. He told the manager the diamonds were rare and would be hard to move on the open market. He went to police when the rings weren't returned.
A break in the case came July 30, 2009, when Abdalnour learned that a diamond with a purplish-pink hue had turned up in a New York City store. Three gemologists confirmed it was his.
Las Vegas police detectives traced the ring to Harry Chandi, a jewelry dealer in the Cayman Islands. Chandi, contacted in London, England, told investigators he bought the $2 million stone for $7,000 and two loose diamonds. He picked the Keneleys out of a photo lineup.
Investigators next learned the Keneleys sold the two loose diamonds from Chandi in Los Angeles for $18,000, and peddled the remaining diamonds from Abdalnour's pouch for $18,000 at a pawn shop in Dana Point, Calif.
Before going to the Caymans, the couple had asked a family friend who worked in the jewelry business, Richard Cullinan, how to sell diamonds they hoped would fetch $1.5 million. Cullinan told them moving "hot" stones would be hard, and helped sell the 10.05 karat diamond for $55,000 to the Gold Rush jewelry store, in the 8100 block of Sahara Avenue.
All told, the rocks netted just $98,000, 3.3 percent of their retail value. The Keneleys gave Cullinan $5,000, paid the note on their GMC Yukon, covered day-to-day expenses and financed the Caymans trip.
Police later recovered about $14,000 in cash from a safe deposit box. Authorities have yet to find the 10.05 karat princess cut diamond, which the Gold Rush said was sold to an unknown party in California.
After they were arrested on Aug. 27, 2009, the Keneleys confessed and wrote letters of apology to Abdalnour, according to court documents.
Cullinan in February pleaded guilty to attempted possession of stolen property, a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced in August by Judge Valorie Vega to three years probation.
Matt Keneley is free on $50,000 bond. A two-time Academic All-American and starting lineman at the University of Southern California, he was drafted by the New York Giants in 1997 but played only seven NFL games for the San Francisco 49ers in 1999. In 1998 he played for the San Jose Sabercats of the Arena Football League, and in 2001 played for the upstart XFL football league's Los Angeles Xtreme. His attorney, Tom Pitaro, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Antoinette Keneley was released on her own recognizance. She is listed as a third-grade teacher at John C. Bass Elementary School. A Clark County School District spokesman confirmed she is still employed by the district. Her attorney, Greg Knapp, declined to comment.
Employees of the Spearmint Rhino said Friday they were not authorized to comment.
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