Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 47 year-old Paul Blarr of 127 Manser Drive in the Town of Amherst, pleaded guilty as charged to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and ten counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, before Erie County Court Judge Michael Pietruszka. These were the highest charges for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial, and encompasses a total of 89 victims, who in the aggregate lost approximately $630,000.

Blarr, an Amherst, NY jeweler, conducting business through two companies, “RSNP Diamond Exchange” and “Amherst Diamond Exchange”, admitted that between January 1, 1998 and March 21, 2014, he sold counterfeit jewelry, including faux diamonds. Blarr faces up to 50 years in state prison, which is the maximum period of incarceration under New York law for a non-murder offense, when he is sentenced by Judge Pietruszka on July 25, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. 

The time between Blarr’s guilty plea and sentencing will allow for the exploration of other issues concerning the defendant’s jewelry business.  These issues in general relate to items of jewelry entrusted by their owners to the defendant either for repair or for sale on consignment.  These items must now be returned to their owners and Blarr has promised to cooperate with the Amherst Police Department with respect to the return of these items to their rightful owners. 

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian P. Dassero, who is assigned to DA Sedita’s Financial Crimes Bureau, and John Doscher, Chief of the Financial Crimes Bureau.  DA Sedita lauded the efforts of the Amherst Police Department in solving the case and bringing justice to the victims.