HOLLYWOOD HILLS—A “Bling Ring” member accused of breaking into several celebrity homes and walking away with $3 million in jewels, art and watches has pleaded no contest. The 21-year-old Rachel Lee who is responsible for the burglary of reality star Audriana Patridge’s home, pleaded no contest on one count of first degree residential burglary on Friday, September 23. Lee, will be sentenced on October 21 and is facing up to four years in prison.
"Bling Ring" mastermind is being sentenced to four years of prison.
|
In an agreement, prosecutors have decided to drop a felony count of conspiracy to commit burglary and two counts of receiving stolen property for Lee’s partial admission of guilt.
Authorities have reported that Lee helped operate break-ins at the homes of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. Items were retrieved from Lee’s home in Las Vegas, Nevada that belonged to the victims of the burglaries.
The other four members of the “Bling Ring” burglary ring are responsible for stealing from other celebrities’ homes such as Rachel Bilson, Brian Austin-Green, Megan Fox, and Ashley Tisdale between September 2008 and August 2009, according to police. Both Bloom and Hilton testified against the Los Angeles County Grand Jury for their burglarized homes.
The other four members of the “Bling Ring” crew are Nicholas Prugo, 20; Diana Tamayo, 21; Courtney Leigh Ames, 20; and Roy Lopez Jr., 29. All are awaiting trial and will be back in court on November 18 for pretrial and motions. They have all pleaded not guilty.
According to court records convicted drug dealer Jonathan Ajar, allegedly helped the defendants sell the merchandise. Ajar has also pleaded no contest to various felonies in March.
Members of the “Bling Ring” operation allegedly began as a group who attended Agoura Hills High School. They are suspected of targeting wealthy homes in the west Los Angeles County area, investigators said.
The group allegedly started to move on to bigger names and used celebrity websites such as, Twitter, TMZ.com and http://www.celebrityaddressaerial.comas ways for them to learn many celebrities traveling plans, said the authorities.
Prugo and Lee were allegedly caught on surveillance video footage breaking into the homes of Lohan and Partridge. They were later arrested after allegedly being overheard bragging about their criminal exploits.
Prugo later bargained for leniency in the case, and later agreed to return a number of items that belonged to the victims of the infamous crime spree.