Is the lady in the vault at fault?

$6M diamond switcheroo falls through; suspect arrested

Jeweler Vladislav “Bobby” Yampolsky sensed something was wrong about the woman trying to buy more than $6 million in diamonds from his store in Boca Raton.

She claimed to represent a potential diamond buyer, but didn’t carry any tools of the trade to inspect the jewels.

Then she tried to distract Yampolsky several times while the diamonds sat on a table, police said.

Yampolsky wasn’t falling for it. He swiftly locked the woman in a vault and called police.

Fatima Milanovic, 46, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of grand theft and organized fraud.

She had arrived at the Mizner Park business, ECJ Luxe Collection, 332 Plaza Real, on March 18 representing a potential buyer

in a deal that had been in the works for weeks, store owner Yampolsky told Sun Sentinel news partner WPEC-CBS12.

The deal was for 11 stones worth $6.7 million, according to a police report.

Yampolsky told police he became suspicious shortly after Milanovic arrived, especially after he took her to a secure vault room where large transactions are handled so she could inspect the diamonds.

“She came here to inspect stones without bringing any tools, no magnifying glass, no diamond dealer’s loupe, nothing, so it was obvious she was about to pull something,” Yampolsky said.

After looking at the diamonds, Milanovic agreed to the deal but insisted on wrapping the items inside her own packing material, police said.

She had a similar package inside her bag and tried to switch the two, investigators said

“That’s how she tried to scam us,” Yampolsky said. “She brought her own materials, wrapped it herself with her own tape and tried to pull the switch because she had the identical package in her bag, premade.” The diamonds in that package were fake, Yampolsky told investigators. That’s when Yampolsky left and locked Milanovic inside the vault room.

According to the arrest report, surveillance video from inside the room shows Milanovic making a phone call and then “she starts to rip up and attempt to destroy the pre-made package that was already in her purse.”

Police gave no address for Milanovic, but said she carried a French passport. She was released from jail on $50,000 bond.

COURTESY PHOTO Surveillance video shows the suspect and jeweler Vladislav “Bobby” Yampolsky.

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Vladislav “Bobby” Yampolsky of ECJ Luxe Collection in Boca Raton leaves the vault where he locked in the woman.

HANDOUT/COURTESY

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER This diamond ring was among the $6 million in gems.

Fatima Milanovic, above, tried to switch a package of fake diamonds for real ones, investigators say. Vladislav “Bobby” Yampolsky, top, grew wary and locked her in the vault.