World’s worst thief gets locked in vault during attempted heist
A Florida woman’s plan to rob a jewelry shop was foiled when she got locked in the store’s vault.
Fatima Milanovic, 46, tried to dupe the owner of ECJ Luxe Collection in Boca Raton, but her scheme to steal more than $6 million in diamonds didn’t work out as planned, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Owner Bobby Yampolsky said he knew something was off when Milanovic visited the store on March 18 claiming to represent a buyer, but didn’t bring any equipment to examine the jewels.
“She came here to inspect stones without bringing any tools, no magnifying glass, no diamond dealers loop, nothing, so it was obvious she was about to pull something,” Yampolsky said.
According to Yampolsky, he took her to look at the jewels inside the store’s vault, where she kept trying to distract him. Meanwhile, she allegedly had a replica package with fake stones inside of her bag.
“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, pre-made.”
Yampolsky caught on to her alleged scheme and locked Milanovic in the vault while he called the cops.
Police arrested Milanovic on charges of grand theft and organized fraud. She was booked at Palm Beach County Jail and released on $50,000 bond on March 20.
Milanovic’s attorney Richard Cooper told The Post that she never intended to commit a crime.
“We strenuously deny these serious allegations and look forward to vindication once all the facts come out,” Cooper said in a statement. “We believe that Ms. Milanovic was misguided by people she trusted and had no intent to ever commit a crime while visiting the U.S. Ms. Milanovic is a mother and wife missing her family back home in France and we look forward to having these charges dropped and reuniting her with her loved ones.”