America’s Auction Channel Employee Arrested in Jewelry Theft Scheme
The employee was in charge of jewelry intake and allegedly gave stolen items to her boyfriend to pawn.

When jewelry worth between $100,000 and $200,000 was noted as missing, the authorities were called.
After an investigation, America’s Auction Channel employee Monique Bigelow, 36, and her boyfriend, Reco Wallace, 34, were arrested and charged by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office with “scheme to defraud.”
Bigelow was in charge of receiving and intaking the company’s jewelry, as per court documents, and was allegedly misreporting the amounts and values to remove items from inventory and keep them for herself to pawn.
The alleged siphoning off of items went on for six months, beginning in May 2020 and continuing until November 2020.
Court documents state that a manager was able to identify several pieces of jewelry that had been pawned as belonging to the company. Neither Bigelow nor Wallace was given permission to pawn the items, the manager said.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office started the case by investigating Wallace after he had been recorded making “exorbitant amounts of pawn transaction,” as per court documents, including several “unique” pieces of jewelry.
Investigators spotted Wallace driving a 2007 Chevrolet Impala registered to Bigelow and later made the connection.
Wallace has been arrested several times for a variety of charges, including robbery and grand theft of a motor vehicle, as per sheriff’s office records.
The two were taken to the Pinellas County Jail on Dec. 27 on a charge of scheme to defraud. They are being held on $100,000 bonds.
America’s Auction Channel did not respond to National Jeweler’s request for comment on the case, but company founder and owner Jeremiah Hartman told the Tampa Bay Times that Bigelow was first hired in 2016 but then laid off, possibly by a department head, though he did not recall it being for an “atrocious” reason. She was rehired in the summer of 2018.
Another employee had lost his job after being falsely accused of stealing the missing jewelry, said Hartman, who urged fellow business owners to “trust, but verify.”
Hartman started the network in 2001 as a jewelry auction channel but later expanded its offerings.
The Latest

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.

The champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.

Kosann partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to create a set of necklaces inspired by the artwork on samurai sword handguards.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

The brand’s first high jewelry collection, “Tempest” plays with movement while calling to mind the folklore of the sea.


Proceeds from its jewelry raffle will go to a volunteer-run fire and rescue group in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia.

Stuller said the recipients embody the company’s core values, which include community participation and personal and professional growth.

Citizen’s new “Rainell” women’s watch has a raindrop-shaped case and is available with a silver-, gold-, purple-, or green-colored dial.

The “Mercedes Gleitze Rolex Oyster,” named for the British endurance swimmer who made it famous, will go up for sale next month.

Amit Pratihari was previously the managing director of De Beers India and Forevermark India.

Members of the Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California will gain access to expanded services, resources, and connections, DCWC said.

Gomez’s jewelry included Tiffany & Co. drop-style earrings while Blanco stacked diamonds from Jacob & Co. on his wrist.

Diamond industry banking veteran Paul De Wachter will take on the role in January 2026.

Taylor Swift flaunts an Elizabeth Taylor-esque gemstone in promo for her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Its “Quantre Sand” capsule was made using a 3D sand printing technique borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries.

“Radiance and Reverie” will showcase more than 150 jewels from Lane’s personal collection by Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and more.

The month’s birthstones, tourmaline and opal, complement the palette of autumn.

Smith shares the importance of looking at your company with openness and honesty to identify opportunities you may be missing.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco visited Italy to spot jewelry trends at the September Vicenzaoro show and share her top finds.

Respondents were concerned about job availability and rising prices.

Its latest interim financials revealed a challenging first half due in part to production troubles at its mines.

Alexander Lacik has led Pandora since 2019. Berta de Pablos-Barbier will succeed him, the first woman to head the company.

Two men allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a North Carolina jeweler.

The “Lovestruck” collection, designed with the Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings, is the brand’s first lab-grown diamond offering.

The brand, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has popped up at Market, a luxury fashion destination in Highland Park Village.

She was remembered as a creative and generous woman of faith, who also had a sweet tooth.