The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel was the site of a million-dollar jewelry theft yesterday, police said. The items were later recovered. (Bill Brett for the boston globe)
By Christine McConville, Globe Staff | August 27, 2007
Two local women are to be arraigned today in Boston Municipal Court on charges that they stole an estimated $1 million in jewelry from a family celebrating a wedding at the elegant Fairmont Copley Plaza.
Ramatu Deen, 27, of Boston, and Ailina Fernandes, 30, of Quincy, were arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with larceny over $250 and buying, receiving, and concealing stolen property, said Sharon Dottin, a Boston police spokeswoman. The missing bag of jewelry, which included a pearl necklace, and gold and silver necklaces and bracelets, was recovered several hours after the victims first reported the theft, Dottin said.
The victims were staying at the storied Back Bay hotel for a Saturday night wedding, Dottin said, and were put in charge of the wedding gifts.
Yesterday morning, as the guests in room 647 prepared for a post-wedding brunch in a downstairs function room, a hotel bellhop came to the room to collect both their luggage and the newlyweds' gifts, Dottin said.
But when the bellhop picked up one of the bags, the guests told him to keep it in the room, because it contained their jewelry, Dottin said.
Then, they went to the 10 a.m. brunch, she said.
They returned to find the bag missing, she added.
Shayne Harrington, the hotel's director of security, said that as soon as the guests told hotel staff about the theft, hotel officials called Boston police.
Dottin would not describe the women's connection to the hotel.
Harrington referred all questions regarding the case to the hotel's general manager, who could not be reached for comment.
But earlier in the day, in a brief interview with the Globe, Harrington indicated that the theft might have been an inside job.
"It's not anyone who walked in off the street," he said in the midst of the investigation, as police scoured the room and a nearby hallway and business travelers looked on in confusion.
By 6 p.m., Dottin said, the jewelry had been recovered. Police did not say how.
Relatives of the victims said the suspects worked at the hotel.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops