Federal prosecutors in the US have busted a diamond theft ring that extended across multiple states and amounted to nearly $2 million in stolen diamonds. The accused ringleaders, Michael Young, 39, and Ernest Remor, 36, were arrested in Oregon. The indictment reveals seven thefts that were committed between December 2010 and January 2011 from stores in California, Tennessee, Nevada, and Oregon.

Five people —Michael Young, 39, Ernest Remor, 36, Trey Adams, 27, Victor Lupis, 25, and Jack Cannon, 25—were all charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy. Young and Remor have been detained as flight risks and are pending trial set for Sept. 27. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the remaining defendants charged in the indictment will appear at a later date.

In a technique described as a grab-and-dash theft, a thief would walk into a jewelry store, sometimes accompanied by a woman, and pretend to be ring shopping. The thief would ask to see large stones, then grab them and run to a nearby getaway car. The thieves became so bold at one point, they hit two stores in one day in California. According to court documents, the diamonds were later sold to a Philadelphia jeweler who distributed the proceeds of the sales to the ring members. 

Followiong a theft that occurred in December 2010, police released a description of one of the suspects captured on a surveiliance camera. An anonymous phone-in tip led police to  Victor James Lupis, one of the ring members, who was subsequently arrested in North Carolina. Lupis confessed to his role in the thefts and provided the FBI with information about additional diamond thefts and names of others who were involved.

"This is not some Hollywood fantasy film filled with 'A List' stars and fancy cars," said FBI agent Alan J. Peters."This is a criminal case with real victims stretched across the U.S."

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