NYC jeweler sues insurer over Jennifer Lopez scam

A Madison Avenue jeweler was tricked into lending $3.2 million worth of jewelry to a conman claiming Jennifer Lopez needed them for a photo shoot and is now suing his insurance company after not recovering the jewelry, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.

Stephen Russell high-end vintage and contemporary pieces have been featured in Vogue and W magazines, the Post reported.

In March 2017, a man calling himself Paul Castellana claimed to work for Sony and contacted Mr. Russell about lending two pieces to “high-profile celebrity Jennifer Lopez,” according to the Manhattan civil suit, accessed by the Post.

Two people later picked up the items, which were never returned, the newspaper reported.

The jeweler eventually learned that it had been conman James Sabatino, calling from a Florida federal prison. Mr. Sabatino, who pleaded guilty earlier in September, had been calling luxury retailers and pretending to represent recording artists, the Post reported.

Mr. Russell’s insurance company, Lloyd’s of London, did not return the Post’s messages for comment.