CLEARWATER, Fla . – Detectives have cracked a sophisticated scheme, arresting a St. Petersburg man accused of swiping over half a million dollars in high-end watches from his employer. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit nabbed Michael Kelly, 32, on June 5, 2025, charging him with Scheme to Defraud.

The investigation began on May 15, 2025, after Gold & Diamond Source on Ulmerton Road reported a significant internal theft. What detectives uncovered was a years-long operation.

Between October 31, 2021, and May 3, 2025, Kelly, an employee at the time, allegedly exploited the company’s point-of-sale system in a cunning deception.

Authorities say Kelly would fake transactions, making it appear as though customers were trading in watches and buying new ones. But here’s

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