MSP Recover 7 Stolen Diamond Rings Traffic Stop In Calhoun Co.

Michigan State Police troopers say they recovered seven stolen diamond rings worth $50,000 during a traffic stop on I-94 in Calhoun County.

A 31-year-old Detroit man is behind bars after Michigan State Police troopers located several stolen diamond rings worth tens of thousands of dollars during a traffic stop on I-94 in Emmett Township.

Michigan State Police troopers initiated the traffic stop on the vehicle for following too closely on westbound I-94 in Calhoun County. The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 2 just before 1:00 p.m., according to Michigan State Police spokesperson Lt. Dwayne Robinson.

The trooper ran the suspect's information and found that the driver had a suspended license, no insurance, or vehicle registration. The trooper thought the suspect was acting nervous and asked to search the vehicle to which the suspect consented.

During the search, the trooper located seven diamond rings wrapped in a face-covering underneath the driver seat of the vehicle. Each of the rings had tags attached. According to Michigan State Police, the rings have an estimated street value of $50,000.

The 31-year-old suspect from Detroit admitted to the trooper that the rings were stolen and said he allegedly received the stolen goods from a friend in Detroit. The suspect was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property.

31-year-old Michael Reuben Thornton was arraigned Thursday afternoon for Receiving and Concealing Stolen Property over $20,000. He was placed on bond and pre-trial supervision and is expected to return to court for a preliminary hearing on February 12, 2021.

If convicted, Thornton faces up to 10 years in jail and fines up to three times the amount of the items stolen. He was previously placed on parole in May 2020 after serving a sentence for Receiving and Concealing a Stolen Vehicle out of Oakland County.

Michigan State Police troopers are now attempting to track down where the rings were stolen from to return the property.