Notorious jewel thief in trouble with the law again
A warrant has been issued for a prolific octogenarian jewel thief who was released from custody a few months after admitting to stealing a diamond ring from a Palm Desert jewelry store, according to court records. Doris Marie Payne, 83, pleaded guilty in April to one felony count each of burglary and grand theft for swiping the 3.5 carat, $22,500 ring October 21, 2013 from El Paseo Jewelers.
She was sentenced to four years in custody, and was to serve half of the time in jail and the other half under supervision. Payne met the criteria to be “fed kicked” released because of jail overcrowding and was released from a Riverside County jail on July 8th to the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s and Probation Departments.
Payne was on probation for felony theft in a Los Angeles case when the crime in Palm Desert occurred. On July 10, Payne was released from L.A. County custody for unspecified reasons, and as of Aug. 8, hadn’t reported to the Riverside County Probation Department.
One of the terms of her supervision was to report to probation within two days of release, according to probation and court records. On August 15, the Riverside County probation department filed a report alleging that she violated that requirement, and asked that her supervision be revoked and a bench warrant be issued.
Payne’s lengthy career as an international jewel thief was detailed in a 2013 documentary, “The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne.” She had been out of prison for about three months, and was living in a Riverside motel at the time of the Palm Desert ring theft.
