DA Donnelly’s office has offered us a deal:
All 12 felony charges reduced to just 3 non-criminal violations. Basically a traffic ticket.
We respectfully declined.
Accepting would mean admitting guilt, even minor, and letting these absurd charges quietly disappear. We won’t do that—we’re determined to fully clear our name.
Thank you to everyone standing with us.
– The Avital Family
About Jacob Avital
I run 5 Towns Jewelry Buyers, a jewelry buying office on Long Island, New York. Previously, I ran the YouTube channel Jacob Worth, where I taught people how diamond pricing works and how to avoid overpaying.
On Sept 11, 2024,
Ariel Zirkiyev visited my home office (our store was closed for renovations) and tried selling me a fake Cartier bracelet—the exact same type of counterfeit used to defraud me before.
When confronted, Ariel left and then falsely accused my entire family of robbery, kidnapping, and assault.
The Crew
Ariel Zirkiyev isn’t just a scammer, he’s part of a criminal crew based in Manhattan’s Diamond District that has hit hundreds of stores nationwide, stealing millions.
My business previously lost $37,000 to this same crew’s scams.
Learn more about the gang
Meet the gang that has scammed jewelers for millions—and keeps getting away with it.
53 minutes.
That’s how long it took for my family to be arrested for 12 felonies—based solely on Ariel’s false accusations.
Police never attempted to review our surveillance video clearly disproving his claims. They conducted no basic investigation—exactly what scammers count on.
Why would anyone risk a spotless 50-year family reputation to steal a worthless counterfeit bracelet?
blockNo surveillance video checked
blockNo investigation done
The Cartier® Subpoena
The DA subpoenaed Cartier® to verify the jewelry. Their findings confirmed exactly what we said all along—it was a fake.
Proof it’s fake:
Cartier’s records show serial number FVV688 belongs to a 4-diamond bracelet. The bracelet Ariel brought in had 10 diamonds—clearly counterfeit.
The Cartier Subpeona & Counterfeit Match
The DA knows the charges are false.
They know Ariel Zirkiyev is part of a fraud ring targeting jewelers nationwide. Yet they've spent six months prosecuting us instead of the real criminals.
When their original charges became impossible to justify, DA Donnelly quietly offered us minor, non-criminal violations. We respectfully declined.
Nassua County District Attorney Anne T. Donelly
What happened to the counterfeit jewelry?
The DA’s office returned the counterfeit bracelet back to Ariel Zirkiyev—a known scammer!
Why? It’s a tactic used by prosecutors to quietly discard problematic evidence, allowing them to say, 'The case fell apart.'
Even Worse: It took the DA 6 months to tell our lawyers they returned this critical evidence—violating federal law (The Brady Act).
Counterfeit Cartier (photo from NCPD)
Days after our arrest,
Ariel Zirkiyev sent us a letter threatening to burn down our home.
We reported it to the police. The DA refuses to investigate because—according to our lawyer—it would ruin their case against us.
The arson letter taken into police custody
Closed Our Business
We’ve been forced to temporarily close our business out of fear. With no protection from the DA’s office, any customer could now be part of this criminal crew.
$20,000 Reward
We’re offering a $20,000 reward for information leading directly to arrests of individuals involved in this jewelry fraud ring.
If you have information or believe you've been targeted, contact us immediately.
Media & Press Inquiries
Jacob Avital, Avital Case
Phone: 516-212-5036
Email: media@justiceinNY.com
On X: x.com/jacobavitalny
Press Release (March 27, 2025): Trusted Jewelers Charged with ‘Kidnapping’ Customer—DA Now Offers Minor Violations