DENVER – The jewelry store owner Contact7 Investigates exposed for allegedly selling customers fake jewelry has been charged with theft by the district attorney in Adams County.
David Kushnir owned D&D Fine Jewelry on 120th in Thornton until it closed abruptly last year.
“The charges allege that Kushnir defrauded the customers after they brought their diamonds, watches and other jewelry to him for repair or consignment sale at his business,” the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a news release to Denver7. “He also sold fake diamonds to three victims,” the release alleged.
In the months before D&D shut down, two customers filed police reports saying their jewelry may have been altered – with the expensive parts switched for cheaper imitations.
Agnus Baker told Contact7she brought her Rolex in for repairs, but when she got it back, it wasn’t working correctly and looked different.
"I got out this place and I'm looking at my watch and there is something wrong, it wasn't working," Baker said in the Denver7 investigative report from 2018.
When she took the watch to another jeweler, the jeweler said the mechanisms inside were cheap Chinese parts, a police report states.
Baker said the date display on the front of the watch was gold before the repair and white after she received the watch back from D&D.
Jaci Mudd sued Kushner for $2,800 after she said she gave him her wedding ring on consignment and was never paid. He later paid her back after the first Denver7 story on his business aired.
Rob Lee has not been paid. He too gave D&D Fine Jewelers several jewelry items to sell for him on consignment. He says he experienced a long line of excuses from Kushnir while seeking payment for the jewelry after the store closed down.
“I would either like to see him pay people back, take care of his debts or serve time in jail,” Lee said.
An Adams County judge granted Lee a default judgment in February of 2018 for $13,000 plus court costs.
In court paperwork from Lee’s case, Kushnir also blamed the news media for his inability to pay.
“Currently unemployed due to news coverage,” Kushnir wrote.
Kushnir made his first appearance in court Wednesday. His next court date is set for 1:30 p.m. on Friday in Division 5 of Adams County Court.
