MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — A Morristown man has been accused of misrepresenting the authenticity and value of jewelry he sold to a victim in June in Mount Olive Township, costing them tens of thousands of dollars, police said.
According to police, a victim reported to police on June 17 that Justin T. Wentzel, 43, had sold them three pieces of jewelry while misrepresenting the authenticity of the gems and their value.
Investigators determined Wentzel allegedly sold lab-grown diamonds as genuine diamonds and overstated the worth and price of the jewelry by as much as $23,800.
On Aug. 7, Wentzel went to police headquarters, where he was arrested without incident. He was charged with theft by deception, criminal simulation, and falsifying or tampering with a record, police said.
Wentzel was released pending a court hearing.
