A former Lake Worth jewelry store employee, Zabrina Herrera Acosta, appeared before a judge for the first time on Thursday. She is accused of stealing high-end jewelry from her employer, YS Jewelry, and pawning it across South Florida.

According to investigators, Acosta exploited a blind spot in the store’s security camera system to avoid detection while taking merchandise. The store owner became suspicious after noticing jewelry was missing and contacted authorities.

Alleged Theft Scheme

Acosta allegedly pawned 126 pieces of jewelry at businesses in Palm Beach and Broward counties, receiving more than $86,000. The store owner identified 75 stolen items with an estimated value of about $150,000.

Acosta admitted to taking the jewelry and pawning it, according to investigators. However, many of the items had already been sold or scrapped by the time authorities recovered some of them.

The judge ordered Acosta to be held on a bond totaling $216,000, describing the allegations as a “very serious situation” and a scheme. Acosta faces 60 criminal charges, including organized fraud, grand theft, dealing in stolen property, and falsifying pawn records.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.