TONIGHT ON 20/20 ` DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER. FROM SUNNY FLORIDA TO GLITZY LAS VEGAS TO RAINY PORTLAND, WE'RE TAKING YOU INSIDE THE ROBBERY ROADSHOW. NINE STATES, 25 SHOPS AND MILLIONS IN STOLEN DIAMONDS. THIS WAS A CASE OF A LIFETIME. IF EYES COULD KILL, I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD RIGHT THEN. OUR STORY STARTS HERE. MID-AFTERNOON BRINGS THE USUAL HUSTLE AND BUSTLE TO DOWNTOWN PORTLAND. BUT THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY UNUSUAL. IT'S VERY VIVID BECAUSE IT'S BURNED INTO YOUR MEMORY. 'BURNED' IS EXACTLY WHAT JEWELLER DAVID MARGULIS GOT THE DAY ARCHITECT JASON SHAW ENTERED HIS STORE. HE WAS VERY CLEAN CUT. HE WAS WEARING A NICE SHIRT AND TIE AND JACKET. LIKE WE'RE DRESSED. WITH MONEY IN HIS POCKET AND AN ENGAGEMENT ON HIS MIND, THE RING SHOPPING ROMEO PUTS STAFF AT EASE. HE THEN SAID, 'MAY I COMPARE THE TWO RINGS AND SEE THEM BOTH TOGETHER?' BUT, IN AN INSTANT, HE CHANGES THE RULE OF ENGAGEMENT FROM A POTENTIAL SUITOR TO A STONE-COLD CROOK. AND HE TURNS ON HIS HEELS AND JUST JUMPS OFF THE STAIRWAY, RUNNING OUT THE DOOR. AND I TOOK ONE LOOK AND KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND RAN RIGHT AFTER HIM. CRIME ALERT NOW ABOUT A THIEF DRESSED SO WELL, HE TOOK HIS VICTIMS BY SURPRISE. TONIGHT, WE'RE TAKING YOU INSIDE ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST DARING ROBBERY RINGS. A CREW SO METICULOUS, THEY EVEN HAD SOMEONE WIPE FINGERPRINTS OFF DOORS. MICHAEL, YOU UNCLEANED YOUR FINGERPRINTS OFF THE DOOR WHEN YOU HIT IT GOING OUT? YEAH. SO HARD CORE, THEY TASERED THEMSELVES TO SEE WHAT IT FELT LIKE. TO, QUOTE, 'BECOME ONE WITH THE TASER.' AND SO INVENTIVE, THE TRICKS OF THEIR TRADE INCLUDED A GOLF SHIRT, A CUTE LITTLE CHIHUAHUA, AND A PAIR OF JET SKIS. SO MEET 'THE BLING RING', AMERICA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL DIAMOND THIEVES. SO BRAZEN, THEY FLAUNTED THEIR LOOT ONLINE, EVEN USING CASH FOR A CUSHION. TURNING ON THE CHARM TO STEAL HEARTS AND DIAMONDS. YOU'RE KIND OF DESCRIBING THE DOPPELGANGER FOR BRAD PITT IN OCEANS 11. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE IT WAS A TV SHOW OR A MOVIE OR SOMETHIN'. EXACTLY. TONIGHT, WE'RE TAKING YOU BACK TO THE SCENES OF THE CRIME... WONDERED IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE` GET AWAY FROM ME. WONDERED IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE` I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. YOU'LL SEE IT ALL ` ALL THEIR HITS AND RUNS CAUGHT ON TAPE. BECAUSE IF DIAMONDS ARE THE GANG'S BEST FRIEND, CAMERAS ARE A COP'S. THEY NEEDED TO BE STOPPED, AND WE WERE THE PEOPLE TO STOP 'EM. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2017 KIA ORA. I'M CAROLYN ROBINSON. TONIGHT ON 20/20 ` DIAMONDS. NOTHING SAYS LOVE LIKE A DIAMOND RING, AND THERE WASN'T A GANG IN AMERICA THAT LOVED DIAMONDS MORE THAN 'THE BLING RING'. TONIGHT, WE'RE TAKING YOU INSIDE THEIR NOTORIOUS CRIME SPREE. WE'LL SHOW YOU THEIR CONS, THEIR CAPERS AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE OF THEIR CRIME SPREE. BUT WILL THE THIEVES BE CAUGHT? HERE'S MATT GUTMAN. SO, WHAT REALLY WENT DOWN AT THE MARGULIS JEWELLERY STORE IN PORTLAND? WELL, CRACKING THE CASE BECOMES THE RESPONSIBILITY AND BORDERLINE OBSESSION OF VETERAN DETECTIVES ERIC MCDANIEL AND BRIAN HUGHES. THERE'S A DIGITAL SIGNATURE TO EVERY ONE OF THESE. STARSKY AND HUTCH THEY'RE NOT. MCDANIEL DRIVES A KIA FOUR-DOOR, AND HUGHES USUALLY HAS HIS TRIGGER FINGER ON A COMPUTER MOUSE. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY CRIMES HERE. THEY DON'T MAKE A LOT OF NEWS STORIES ABOUT PROPERTY CRIME INVESTIGATIONS. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ` THESE ARE STRAIGHT-SHOOTING INVESTIGATORS, HIGHLY TRAINED, HIGHLY MOTIVATED, ARRIVING ON SCENE TO FIND A CURIOUS SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. WE HAVE A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS THAT WORK IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORE. AND FOR THE PERSON TO GET AWAY THAT QUICK WAS UNUSUAL. PROPERTY CRIMES AROUND HERE USUALLY INVOLVE SOMEONE LOOKING TO MAKE A QUICK SCORE FOR DRUG MONEY. BUT DETECTIVES FEEL THE TALE OF THE TAPE TELLS THEM OTHERWISE. WE ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT BY THE WAY THE FELLOW CARRIED HIMSELF, HE WASN'T LOCAL. HE SEEMED LIKE HE WAS SQUARED AWAY AND HAD A PLAN. AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER HUNCH ` THEY DON'T THINK THAT HE WAS WORKING ALONE. THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE THAN ONE GUY. I MEAN, JUST FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, THERE ALWAYS IS. LET'S REWIND TO SHOW YOU WHAT THE POLICE FIGURED OUT AND WHAT THE JEWELLER DIDN'T REALISE AT THE TIME. THE PERSON MUST'VE KNOWN HOW TO GET AWAY AND MUST'VE HAD SOMEONE WAITING FOR HIM TO HELP HIM. THAT'S CORRECT. THERE'S A TEAM OF FELLAS OUT HERE ON THE STREETS, LOOKING OUT FOR HIM TO DO THE THEFT. IN THIS CASE, THE SUSPECT, DUBBED 'THE RUNNER', HAS BEEN PROVIDED ALL THE TOOLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED. HE'S BEEN TOLD WHAT TO SAY, HOW TO SAY IT. EVEN HIS IDENTITY IS SCRIPTED. HE'S NOT JASON SHAW, AND HE'S NOT AN ARCHITECT. HE'S WEARING CLEAR GLASSES TO ALTER HIS APPEARANCE AND A FANCY SUIT TO APPEAR SUCCESSFUL. ALL OF IT PROVIDED BY A MAN SITTING OUTSIDE, ORCHESTRATING THE ENTIRE EVENT. HE'S CALLED 'THE RISK REDUCER', AND HE COMMUNICATES THROUGH A DISPOSABLE CELL PHONE. HE PRE-PLANNED EVERYTHING TO A POINT WHERE THERE THE RISKS WERE REDUCED, AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM GETTING CAUGHT WAS ZERO. THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND IS ALSO PARKED NEARBY. HE'S CALLED 'THE HERO STOPPER'. THE PERSON THAT STOPS THE HERO IS GONNA HAVE SOME PEPPER SPRAY ON HIM OR SOMETHING TO TRY TO INCAPACITATE THE GOOD CITIZEN TRYING TO STOP THE THIEF. AROUND THE BLOCK, WAITING FOR HIS CUE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, IS ANOTHER GUY. THE GETAWAY DRIVER IS GETTING INTO PLACE. HE'S DRIVING A WHITE DODGE MINIVAN, STOLEN SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS JOB. YOU STEAL A CAR. IT WAS NEVER REGISTERED TO YOU. THERE'S NOTHIN' ON PAPER SHOWING YOU PUT MONEY DOWN FOR IT. AND THAT WAY, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT. SO THERE WAS A RISK THERE, BUT I THINK IT WAS A SMART ONE. WHEN THE RUNNER MAKES HIS MOVE AND EXITS STORE LEFT, IT'S NOT A RANDOM CHOICE. THE RISK REDUCER HAS MAPPED OUT EVERY STEP OF THE ESCAPE. THAT'S THE JEWELLERY STORE, RIGHT THERE. THIS IS BROADWAY. HE HOOKS A LEFT INTO THE PACIFIC CENTRE THAT HAS ONE VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE. THE RUNNER DUCKS INTO A NEARBY OFFICE BUILDING CALLED THE PACIFIC CENTRE, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE AT THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION. HE COMES BARRELLING DOWN THESE STAIRS, RACES ACROSS THE TILE AND HITS THOSE REVOLVING DOORS WITH A FULL HEAD OF STEAM. AND THAT'S THIS EXIT, THROUGH THE BUILDING ON SOUTH-WEST SIXTH STREET. NOW, THERE'S A MINIVAN WAITING RIGHT HERE. ITS DOORS OPEN, AND THEY DRIVE AWAY WITH $147,000 WORTH OF DIAMONDS. IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, BUT I DO HAVE TO GIVE THE GUYS CREDIT. BUT WAIT ` THERE'S MORE. THE RUNNER ALERTS THE RISK REDUCER OF A MISTAKE DURING THE HEIST. HE LEFT FINGER PRINTS ON THE FRONT DOOR. AND LOOK AT THIS. TRUE TO HIS TITLE, THE RISK REDUCER RETURNS TO THE STORE DURING ALL THE CONFUSION AND WIPES THE PRINTS OFF THE DOOR. MEANWHILE, THE GETAWAY DRIVER STEERS THAT DODGE MINIVAN SOUTH TOWARDS SALEM, WHERE IT'S ABANDONED. NOW, EVERYONE PILES INTO A PICKUP TRUCK KNOWN AS THE WASH VEHICLE. THIS TRUCK IS NOT A STOLEN VEHICLE AND HAS NEVER BEEN USED IN A CRIME, PROVIDING EVERYONE INSIDE WITH AN ADDED LAYER OF PROTECTION. I THINK THAT THEY WERE VERY CONFIDENT IN THEIR LEVEL OF PLANNING AND THEIR SKILLS AND ABILITIES. BUT WHO ARE THESE GUYS? NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW, AND, AT THIS POINT, THE DETECTIVES ARE STILL PLAYING CATCH-UP. THEY GET THE WORD OUT TO PAWN SHOPS IN CASE ANYONE ATTEMPTS TO SELL THE RINGS, AND THEY RUN DOWN A HOST OF DEAD ENDS. THERE WERE OTHER TIPS THAT CAME IN THAT I HAD TO FOLLOW UP ON. THEY DIDN'T SEEM PROMISING. HUGHES AND MCDANIELS SUSPECT THIS ISN'T THE WORK OF A LOCAL CREW. THESE KINDS OF CRIMES ARE NOT REAL COMMON HERE IN THE PORTLAND METROPOLITAN AREA. I'VE BEEN A PROPERTY CRIME INVESTIGATOR FOR SOME TIME AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE CRIME TRENDS IN OREGON, AND THAT WAS UNIQUE FOR THIS STATE. AND WHOEVER THE SO-CALLED JASON SHAW REALLY IS, HE HASN'T STUCK AROUND TO FIND OUT HOW THE STORY ENDS. WITH ALL THE CAMERAS, WE HAD A VERY CLEAR VIEW OF HIM. HOWEVER, IT WAS A COLD TRAIL, BECAUSE HE LEFT THE CITY. MAYBE, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE AND HIS CREW WENT FAR. ANOTHER ROBBERY GOES DOWN ABOUT 10 MILES OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND. IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN. IT IS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ` A BOLD DIAMOND THEFT; THIS ONE IN LAKE OSWEGO. THIS TIME, THE RUNNER IS BUNGLED UP IN HAT AND GLOVES WITH A WARM HEART FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND. HE SAID THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND LOVED ONE OF THE, UH, NECKLACES THAT WAS IN THE WINDOW AND ASKED TO SEE IT. AS THE SALESPERSON GOES TO GET THAT NECKLACE, HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO A SAFE IN THE BACK. AS YOU SEE, HE'S NOT JUST A RUNNER BUT A HIGH HURDLER, HOPPING OVER THE COUNTER, SWIPING A TOTAL OF FIVE DIFFERENT DIAMONDS, AND BACK OUT THE FRONT DOOR. FOR A MOMENT, I WAS JUST STUNNED. AND I SAID TO HIM, (FIRMLY) 'NO, YOU DON'T!' OH, YES, HE DOES. STILL, NO ARRESTS AND ONLY HEADACHES. WEEKS PASS. THEN ONE DAY, THE PHONE RINGS. IT'S A CALL THAT WILL TURN THIS CASE AND THE LIVES OF OUR TWO DETECTIVES UPSIDE DOWN. WE KNEW THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHIN' THAT WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET TO EXPERIENCE AGAIN IN OUR LIVES, AS FAR AS AN INVESTIGATION. THIS WAS A CASE OF A LIFETIME. COMING UP ` A JAILBIRD SINGS. BUT HOW DOES HE KNOW HOW THE GANG OPERATES? IT'S PRETTY MUCH A CAKEWALK. I MEAN... OK. INTERESTING. IT TAKES A MONKEY TO DO IT. AND DETECTIVES QUICKLY LEARN THAT THEY'RE PURSUING NOT ONE BUT A TRAIL OF ROBBERIES WITH THE BLING RING'S SIGNATURE MOVES. IT DOES GET REAL BIG. JUST HOW BIG? WELL, STAY WITH US. WE'LL HAVE MORE AFTER THE BREAK. WELCOME BACK TO 20/20. TONIGHT WE'RE GOING INSIDE THE HUNT FOR THE BIGGEST, BOLDEST DIAMOND ROBBERY GANG IN THE UNITED STATES. AS 'DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER' CONTINUES, TWO COPS FROM PORTLAND WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING A LOCAL CRIME HAVE STUMBLED ACROSS A MASSIVE WEB OF ROBBERIES THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTRY. REPORTER MATT GUTMAN TAKES UP THE STORY. AFTER MONTHS OF FRUSTRATION AND TRYING TO PUT A NAME TO THIS FACE, A CRIMESTOPPERS TIP DOES JUST THAT. DETECTIVES ERIC MCDANIEL AND BRIAN HUGHES. WE GOT A TIP FROM 3000 MILES AWAY TELLING US, 'I KNOW WHO THAT IS.' AND THAT'S WHAT STARTED THE CASE GOING. THE TWO DETECTIVES FLY ALL THE WAY FROM PORTLAND TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR A MEETING WITH A SKETCHY SUSPECT NAMED VICTOR LUPIS, ALREADY ON PROBATION FOR ASSAULT. IT'S A LONG SHOT. EVEN IF THIS IS THEIR GUY, WHY WOULD HE ROLL OVER? BUT IT'S THE ONLY SHOT THEY'VE GOT. EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE BEST THING FOR HIM TO DO TO COOPERATE, THAT'S NOT THE NATURAL REACTION FOR A THIEF. IT'S TO SHUT DOWN AND DENY, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID. HE DENIED EVER BEING OUT HERE. BUT COPS KNOW DIFFERENTLY. THE KEY POINT FOR US IS HE TELLS US HE'S NEVER BEEN FARTHER THAN, UH, THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER; NEVER BEEN FATHER WEST. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE SERVE A WARRANT ON HIS HOUSE AND FIND RECEIPTS WITH HIS NAME ON 'EM AND PLANE TICKETS TO PORTLAND, OREGON, IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE HIM CAUGHT IN A LIE. AND THAT'S HOW ORANGE LITERALLY BECOMES THE NEW BLACK. LUPIS IS ARRESTED FOR THE MARGULIS ROBBERY, AND THIS NEW ORANGE JAIL SUIT REPLACES THE BLACK OVERCOAT HE WORE THE DAY HE TOOK THOSE DIAMONDS AND RAN. DETECTIVE MCDANIEL CLEVERLY ADVISES LUPIS OF HIS VERY LIMITED OPTIONS. USUALLY, THE GUY THAT STEPS UP FIRST AND IS READY TO CHANGE HIS LIFE, IT GOES EASIER FOR HIM. BUT YOU STILL` YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE OWNERSHIP. RIGHT. RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, LUPIS BEGINS TO TELL ALL. FIRST, HE CONFESSES TO THE PORTLAND ROBBERY. SHE PUT 'EM IN MY HANDS; I WAS LOOKIN' AT 'EM. RAN OUT THE FRONT DOOR. THEN HE HAS A FEW MORE THINGS TO SAY. DETECTIVES ARE ALL EARS WHEN LUPIS BEGINS TO NAME NAMES. YEAH, THAT'S MICHAEL HILL. AND CAN YOU NAME THAT GUY? YEAH. THAT'S ERNIE. ERNIE REMOR? YEAH. AND THAT IS HOW DETECTIVES LEARN THE IDENTITIES OF ALL OF THE OTHER SMOOTH OPERATORS IN PORTLAND. REMEMBER THE SO-CALLED RISK REDUCER WHO WIPED THE PRINTS AWAY AT MARGULIS JEWELLERS? LUPIS ID'S HIM AS THE RINGLEADER, MICHAEL YOUNG. I WAS FREAKIN' OUT, BECAUSE I HIT THE HANDLE WITH MY FINGERS ON THE WAY OUT. SO HE SAID HE'S CLEAN MY FINGERPRINTS. SO MICHAEL YOUNG CLEANED YOUR FINGERPRINTS OFF THE DOOR WHEN YOU HIT IT GOING OUT? YEAH. WHO'S MICHAEL YOUNG? AN EX-CON WHO RULES WITH AN IRON FIST. HE IMPLIES HE'S PART OF A CRIME FAMILY AND THREATENS RETALIATION FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO CROSS HIM. YOUNG WAS ALSO A MASTER MANIPULATOR WHO BROUGHT IN NEW RECRUITS LIKE THE PIED PIPER. THEY WERE LIVIN' IN THE NICE HOUSES WITH THE BIKES, CARS, MONEY, PROMISING US THE WORLD. IF MICHAEL YOUNG IS THE CEO, HIS RIGHT-HAND MAN, ERNEST REMOR, IS HIS 'CLO' ` CHIEF LARCENY OFFICER. THE PAIR, BOTH IN THEIR 40S, HAD TRIED AND FAILED TO STEAL DIAMONDS BEFORE AND SPENT SOME TIME IN PRISON FOR THEIR EFFORTS. THIS TIME AROUND, THEY'VE TAKEN A MORE HANDS-OFF APPROACH. ONE OF THEIR IDEAS IS MICHAEL YOUNG AND ERNEST REMOR ARE GONNA TAKE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE ACTUAL ACTIVE ROLE OF DOING THE THEFTS AND STAND BACK AND PULL THE STRINGS. THAT BUSINESS PLAN OPENED UP ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS FOR YOUNGER GUYS, LIKE LUPIS. I THINK HE WAS JUST... LIVING A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH OF THE PARTY LIFE AND WANTED THE QUICK MONEY. AND OTHERS, LIKE TREY ADAMS. HE COULD NEVER BRING HIMSELF TO DO THE ACTUAL THEFT OF THE DIAMONDS, BUT HIS BIG ROLE WAS TO STEAL CARS, USUALLY MINIVANS, AND BE THE GETAWAY DRIVER. AND JACK CANNON, A RUNNER EXTRAORDINAIRE, A MAN BORN TO STEAL DIAMONDS. WHEN IT COMES TO STEALING HEARTS, HE GIVES ALL NEW MEANING TO 'UNPOLISHED'. WE COULDN'T FIND ONE PERSON IN THE WORLD FROM HIS FAMILY THAT LIKES HIM COS HE'S A MANIPULATOR AND ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF. THERE'S A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO JACK CANNON ABOUT ALL THE GIRLS THAT HATE HIM. ONE OF THE BENEFITS PROMISED NEW RECRUITS AT MICHAEL YOUNG INC IS A COMPANY GUARANTEE. 'IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, YOU'LL BE TAKEN CARE OF. 'WE'LL BAIL YOU OUT. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY. WE'LL BUY YOU A LAWYER.' BUT LUPIS FINDS OUT THE HARD WAY THERE'S NO HONOUR AMONG THIEVES. HE'S LEFT TO ROT IN JAIL. SO, LUPUS, FEELING DOUBLE-CROSSED, BEGINS SPINNING A TALE FROM 'THE USUAL SUSPECTS'. ALL HE'S MISSING IS KEVIN SPACEY'S LIMP. MAN: ALL RIGHT YOU ALL KNOW THE DRILL. IT BEGINS LONG AGO AND FAR FROM PORTLAND. LUPIS TELLS INVESTIGATORS THE GANG CUT ITS TEETH DOWN IN FLORIDA. I MEAN, THEY RAN FLORIDA. I'VE HEARD MILLIONS OF STORIES. IN SARASOTA, AT JEWELLER MCCARVER & MOSER, WHERE MICHAEL YOUNG AND COMPANY USE A CREATIVE AND CUDDLY TECHNIQUE. EACH ONE HAD ITS OWN SIGNATURE. EACH ONE WAS KIND OF UNIQUE. (YAPS) IN THIS CASE, A LOVABLE CHIHUAHUA IS BROUGHT IN TO STEAL THE HEARTS OF EMPLOYEES WHILE THE RUNNER STEALS THE DIAMONDS. THEY NAMED THE DOG ROXY AND BROUGHT THE DOG IN WHILE THEY COMMITTED THEFT, LEFT THE DOG ON THE COUNTER WHEN THEY HANDLED THE RINGS AND RAN OUT OF THE STORE, LEAVING THE DOG BEHIND. (WHINES) LOU WILSON FOUND OUT THE GANG'S BITE IS WORSE THAN ITS BARK. THE VERO BEACH JEWELLER HAD BEEN IN THE GAME FOR 40 YEARS WITHOUT EVER BEING ROBBED, A STREAK THAT ENDED WHEN TREY ADAMS AND JACK CANNON DARKENED HIS DOOR. I WAS SUSPECTING A CUSTOMER IN THE STORE, AND MY BELL RANG. (DING DONG!) TWO GUYS WITH BALL CAPS AND DARK GLASSES WERE THERE. AND I SAID, 'UH-OH.' HIS NEXT UTTERANCE MAY HAVE BEEN, 'ARGH!' TREY HAD GONE IN FIRST AND CAME IN WITH A TASER AND SHOT THE OLD GUY IN THE CHEST WITH THE TASER. THE GUY JUST POINTED THE STUN GUN AT MY CHEST AND BANGED ME. (BUZZ!) I WAS SHOCKED, BUT I DIDN'T FALL. AND THEN HE BANGED ME AGAIN, AND HE BANGED ME A THIRD TIME, AND I` YOUR LEGS GOTTA GIVE OUT. YOUR WHOLE BODY JUST SORTA QUIVERS. THE GANG COULD FEEL WILSON'S PAIN. WEEKS EARLIER, THEY'D TAKEN TURNS SHOOTING EACH OTHER WITH STUN GUNS JUST TO SEE WHAT IT FELT LIKE. MR YOUNG'S TERM FOR PRACTICING WITH THE TASER WAS TO, QUOTE, 'BECOME ONE WITH THE TASER.' THAT DAY IN BUREAU BEACH, CANNON AND ADAMS SNATCH $100,000 IN DIAMONDS. BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE POLITE ABOUT IT. THEY JUST DART OUT OF THE OFFICE. HE LOOKED BACK AT ME, AND HE SAID, 'I'M SORRY, MAN, BUT I REALLY NEED THE MONEY.' (LAUGHS) YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF A BIZARRE THING TO SAY. WHEN THE ROBBERY ROADSHOW COMES TO SANIBEL ISLAND, YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHS HIS MOST DARING GETAWAY YET. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY ON AND OFF THIS POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION, AND THAT'S THIS 3-MILE-LONG CAUSEWAY THAT CONNECTS TO THE MAINLAND. TOLLBOOTH PHOTOS CAPTURED THAT MOMENT THEY CROSS ON TO ON THE ISLAND. NO PROBLEM IF YOU'RE ON VACATION; BIG PROBLEM IF YOU'VE JUST RIPPED OFF CONGRESS JEWELLERS IN THE HERAT OF TOWN. WHAT MADE THIS ONE UNIQUE WAS AFTER STEALING THE DIAMONDS, THEY HAD PUT ENOUGH THOUGHT INTO THE CAPER WHERE THEY BELIEVED THAT THE TOLLBOOTH AND THE BRIDGE COULD BE USED AS CHOKE POINTS BY THE POLICE. SO AFTER CANNON AND TREY ADAMS STEAL A $190,000 RING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, THEY DO WHAT ANY GOOD PIRATE WOULD DO ` THEY TAKE TO THE SEA. SO, THE GUYS LEAVE THEIR WASH VEHICLE ` THE PICK-UP THAT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THAT ONE. AND SINCE THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T GO OVER THE BRIDGE, THEY'VE GOT TO GO UNDER IT. THEIR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION? WAVERUNNER. (ENGINE WHIRRS) THE AQUATIC ESCAPE ALLOWS CANNON AND ADAMS TO DISAPPEAR AMONG A WAVE OF TOURISTS OUT ON THE WATER. THEY ARE BOTH GOOD ` AND LUCKY. THEY GUYS ARE HALFWAY TO SAFETY WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE WAVERUNNERS AND ARE LEFT BOBBING HERE IN THE BAY ` UNTIL THEY GET SOME HELP FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY OF SOURCES. HOW DID THEY PAY FOR THEIR RESCUE? WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS. WE BELIEVE THAT PARTWAY ACROSS THE CHANNEL THERE THAT THE JET SKIS BROKE DOWN AND THAT THE UNITED STATES COASTGUARD HELPED TOW THEM BACK TO SHORE. BY NOW, THE CREW HAD AMASSED A TOTAL OF NEARLY $2M IN STOLEN STONES. BUT THEY WERE FAR FROM THROUGH, AND NEITHER IS VICTOR LUPIS' STORY. THE LUPIS CONFESSION SPANS HOURS, SPINNING A TALE OF 1001 HEISTS. WE WENT FROM ONE JEWELLERY THEFT HERE IN THE STATE OF OREGON TO OVER 25 IN EIGHT OR NINE DIFFERENT STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE COPS BETTER HURRY. THE TEFLON-SLICK DIAMOND RUSTLERS BRING IT IN THEIR GUNSLINGER, JACK CANNON. IF EYES COULD KILL, I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD RIGHT THEN. SO, IS THE BLING RING ABOUT TO RAMP UP THE VIOLENCE? I'LL HAVE THE ANSWER FOR YOU AFTER THIS BREAK. WELCOME BACK TO 20/20 AND TONIGHT'S STORY FOLLOWING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE MOST INFAMOUS DIAMOND THIEVES IN AMERICA. AS 'DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER' CONTINUES, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE GANG CONTINUES TO HELP POLICE WITH THEIR ENQUIRIES. WHILE THINGS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE ABOUT TO ESCALATE AS THE BLING RING BRINGS IN SOME FIRE POWER AND TURNS THEIR ATTENTION TO LAS VEGAS. MATT GUTMAN: AFTER A BRIEF INTERMISSION, VICTOR LUPIS RETURNS TO HIS INTERROGATION ROOM AND CONTINUES TO SPILL HIS STUNNING STORY OF THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF THE MICHAEL YOUNG BLING RING. NEXT UP, TAMPA, FLORIDA, WHERE A GROUP OF DIAMOND GRAB-AND-DASHERS IS AT IT AGAIN. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CRIME THAT YOU HAD WORKED ON IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT STOLEN? I BELIEVE CLOSE TO $320,000 IN JUST THE TWO DIAMOND RINGS. DETECTIVE MELINDA RUIZ CROSSES PATH WITH THE CREW AFTER A LOCAL ROBBERY HERE AT KING JEWELLERS. THE RUNNER HERE HAS TO ESCAPE THE STORE AND RUN THROUGH A MALL. AND, ONCE AGAIN, JACK CANNON IS UP TO RUNNING THAT GAUNTLET. DANGEROUS AND NOW SUDDENLY DAPPER. HE WAS DRESSED UP, SUIT AND TIE. HE DREW ATTENTION TO HIMSELF IN THAT THE ONE THAT WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY HIM THOUGHT HE WAS ATTRACTIVE. THE VETERAN DETECTIVE SAYS CANNON'S LOOK IS ALTERED THANKS TO MICHAEL YOUNG'S GIRLFRIEND, TERI MILLER, WHO DYES CANNON'S HAIR BLONDE. YOU'RE KIND OF DESCRIBING THE DOPPELGANGER FOR BRAD PITT IN OCEANS 11. RIGHT. A GUY IN A SNAZZY SUIT; BLONDE HAIR; DESIGNER SUNGLASSES. YEAH, IT'S COMPLETELY SET APART FROM ALL THE OTHER CASES THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED UP TO THAT POINT. SURE, HE MAY HAVE THE LOOK. BUT TODAY, CANNON'S GAME IS OFF. FOR STARTERS, HE'S CARRYING A GUN IN HIS WAISTBAND, A DEPARTURE FOR A GANG THAT USUALLY ARMS ITSELF ONLY WITH RUNNING SHOES. THEN WHEN CANNON ASKS TO EXAMINE THESE TWO DIAMOND RINGS, HE WEIRDS OUT THE WOMAN AT THE COUNTER. SHE NOTICES THIS GUY IS EXTREMELY NERVOUS, AND SHE SAYS AT THAT POINT, 'NO, I'M NOT GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU.' SO SHE THEN SEES THE GUN THAT'S IN HIS WAISTBAND. CANNON'S NOT LEAVING WITHOUT THE LOOT. HE GRABS FOR THE ICE. A STRUGGLE ENSUES. EVENTUALLY, HE BREAKS FREE, ESCAPING WITH THE DIAMONDS. JACK WAS NIMBLE. JACK WAS QUICK. JACK WAS SLOPPY, LEAVING A FINGERPRINT. IT WAS AWESOME. JACK CANNON, RIGHT AWAY. YEP. JACK CANNON, RIGHT AWAY. IT ISN'T LONG BEFORE US MARSHALLS AND RUIZ RAID CANNON'S HOUSE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, STUMBLING UPON THE ENTIRE GANG, JUST HANGIN' AT HOME. THEY LOOKED RIGHT THROUGH ME. IF EYES COULD KILL, I WOULD'VE BEEN DEAD RIGHT THEN. ALL ARE INTERVIEWED, BUT ONLY CANNON IS CHARGED IN THE ROBBERY. HE'S GOING TO COURT FOR A JEWELLERY STORE ARMED ROBBERY. YEAH, AT THAT POINT, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL THAT IT WAS, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WAS. CANNON MAKES BOND, AND ` SURPRISE, SURPRISE ` FAILS TO SHOW UP FOR FUTURE COURT APPEARANCES. HE HAD TAKEN OFF, WENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND CONTINUED TO OPERATE IN THE ROBBERY PATTERN THAT HE HAD DONE HERE. IF YOU THINK GETTING ARRESTED FOR ARMED ROBBERY WOULD CHANGE A MAN, YOU DON'T KNOW JACK. WAS HE A DANGEROUS GUY? I'M NOT A PSYCHOLOGIST OR ANYTHING, BUT 'SOCIOPATH' INSTANTLY HIT MY HEAD WHEN I WAS TALKING TO HIM. SO NOT JUST A LOOSE CANNON, BUT ALSO HAD A SCREW LOOSE? YEAH. AND, JUST LIKE THAT, THEY'RE GONE, LEAVING FLORIDA ON A CROSS-COUNTRY CRIME SPREE THAT BRINGS THEM, AFTER FOUR MORE CAPERS, TO PORTLAND. THEN THE ROBBERY OF THE MARGULIS JEWELLERS WE TOLD YOU ABOUT BEFORE. BY NOW, VICTOR LUPIS HAS JOINED THEM AND IS FILLING IN FOR JACK CANNON AS THE RUNNER. BUT IT'LL BE MONTHS UNTIL PORTLAND DETECTIVES MCDANIEL AND HUGHES WILL GET THE TIP THAT LEADS THEM TO LUPIS. WE DON'T KNOW. AND WHILE THEY'RE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS, YOUNG AND COMPANY HIT THAT OTHER OREGON STORE AND TWO MORE JEWELLERS IN CALIFORNIA. THEN THEY START PLANNING THEIR BIGGEST SCORE YET. (JAZZY MUSIC) IT'S VEGAS, BABY! AND THE STAFFERS OF MICHAEL YOUNG INC TRICKLE INTO TOWN. TERI MILLER ARRIVES FIRST. THEN ERNEST REMOR, FOLLOWED BY JACK CANNON. THEY CALL VICTOR LUPIS TO JOIN THE PARTY, BUT HE DECLINES. HE FEARS THE GROUP HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY VIOLENT, AND WITH TWO KIDS TO THINK OF, HE DECIDES TO GO STRAIGHT. I DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM. YOU KNOW, I WAS FINE. I WAS BACK WORKING, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE IN LAS VEGAS, AND THEY KEPT TRYING TO GET ME TO COME BACK TO WORK WITH THEM. BUT MICHAEL YOUNG ISN'T ABOUT TO LET LUPIS' DEFECTION SPOIL THE FUN. HIS EYES REMAIN ON THE PRIZE, A HIGH-PROFILE SHOP CALLED 'THE JEWELLERS OF LAS VEGAS', WITH A HIGH-PROFILE TV AD. WOMAN: THE JEWELLERS OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA'S MOST TRUSTED JEWELLER. YOUR JEWELLER SINCE 1976. THE JEWELLER CATERS TO VEGAS AND HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY, SUPPLYING THE BLING FOR MAJOR FILMS, INCLUDING 'CASINO'. THAT. HUH? THERE WE GO. LOOK AT THAT. BEAUTIFUL! BUT ON THIS DAY, THEY FIND THEMSELVES CATERING TO JACK CANNON. WHAT'S MEMORABLE ABOUT JACK CANNON IS HIS DEMEANOUR AND THE WAY HE TALKS TO PEOPLE. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE MOST REMEMBER ABOUT HIM. AARON LEE IS A VEGAS DETECTIVE WHO SAYS JACK CANNON SHOULD FEEL RIGHT AT HOME IN SIN CITY. THIS WAS A CLASSIC CONMAN. HE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE WHEN HE WENT IN THE STORE. CANNON IS SHOWN HERE SCOUTING THE STORE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME. WEEKS LATER, HE'S BACK WITH A WAVE, A SMILE AND NERVES OF STEEL. HE WAS VERY WELL DRESSED, VERY WELL MANNERED, AND HE CAME ACROSS LIKE AVERAGE JOE CITIZEN. SIX DIAMONDS COME OUT OF THE SAFE AND ARRIVE AT THE COUNTER. CANNON REPEATEDLY WIPES HIS HAND ON HIS SWEATER TO KEEP IT FREE OF MOISTURE. IN THIS LINE OF WORK, STICKY FINGERS ARE NEEDED, NOT SWEATY FINGERS. AND, IN AN INSTANT, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF DIAMONDS ` AND ONE JACK CANNON ` VANISH OUT THE DOOR. IT'S DETECTIVE LEE'S JOB TO FIND HIM. AT TIMES, AS A DETECTIVE, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES, AND THE GREATEST QUESTION THAT I FOUND MYSELF ASKING WAS, 'IF I WERE THEM AND I JUST MADE $500,000 IN LESS THAN FIVE SECONDS, 'WHY WOULD I STOP?' LEE GETS A TIP. I BELIEVE IT WAS A INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR. HE SAID, 'HEY, YOU MAY WANNA TALK TO ARIZONA.' 'THEY HAD SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR.' IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE GANG'S VEGAS SCORE, THEY'RE AT IT AGAIN ` ALTHOUGH THEIR WORK IS STARTING TO SUFFER. WATCH CLOSELY. JACK CANNON IS ABOUT TO GRAB-AND-DASH BUT DROPS $146,000 OF DIAMONDS ON THE FLOOR. SOMEHOW, HE THINKS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO GO BACK AND GET 'EM. HE QUICKLY SCOOPS UP BOTH RINGS WHILE SHE JUMPS OVER THE COUNTER IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO CATCH A THIEF. FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE, IT'S NOW THIEVES ` COPS ` NOTHING. BUT THE POLICE ARE ABOUT TO START EVENING THAT SCORE UP. YOU'LL FIND OUT HOW WHEN WE RETURN. WELCOME BACK. TONIGHT ON 20/20, WE'RE INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION TO BRING DOWN AMERICA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GANG OF DIAMOND THIEVES. THE SO-CALLED 'BLING RING' HAS SO FAR ACCUMULATED $6M IN DIAMONDS FROM A SERIES OF ROBBERIES. BUT THEIR RUN IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END AS EVENTS START TO SWING IN FAVOUR OF THE POLICE, AS MATT GUTMAN EXPLAINS. THE CROSS-COUNTRY CASE OF THE MICHAEL YOUNG BLING RING BREAKS WIDE OPEN WHEN PORTLAND DETECTIVES HUGHES AND MCDANIEL TRACK DOWN VICTOR LUPIS AND HE STARTS SINGING LIKE SINATRA. IT WAS, UH, MICHAEL, ERNIE... THEY KNOW THE NAMES, THEY KNOW THE FACES, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. SO DETECTIVE HUGHES, WHOSE EXPERTISE IS COMPUTER TRACKING, DECIDES TO SEE WHAT BREADCRUMBS THE CREW HAS LEFT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I'M ALWAYS AMAZED AT WHAT PEOPLE PUT ONLINE. AND WHETHER YOU'RE A DOCTOR, A POLICE OFFICER OR A CRIMINAL, IT'S ALL THERE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. HUGHES FINDS RING LEADER MICHAEL YOUNG AND HIS POSSE LIVIN' THE HIGH LIFE, FLOSSING, AS THE KIDS, SAY ` STAYING IN FIRST-CLASS HOTELS AND ROLLING UP IN LIMOS. THE ORGANISERS OF THE GROUP CAN BE SEEN HOLDING FISTS FULL OF CASH. THERE'S ONE PHOTO THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS MR YOUNG USING A STACK OF MONEY AS A PILLOW. THAT MONEY IS NEVER TUCKED AWAY FOR A RAINY DAY. THEY'RE WEARING VERY FANCY DESIGNER CLOTHES, EXPENSIVE WATCHES, DESIGNER JEANS. THOSE TRAVEL PHOTOS BECOME SIGNIFICANT AS THE DETECTIVES BEGIN TO RETRACE THE STEPS OF THE JEWEL THIEVES. AS THE CASE PROGRESSED AND WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT WHERE THE SUSPECTS HAD COMMITTED DIAMOND THEFTS, WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND SEE SOME CORRELATING PHOTOS FROM WHERE THE CRIMES HAD OCCURRED. YOUNG AND HIS NUMBER TWO, ERIC REMOR, LOVE MOTOR CYCLES. BUT BRAND-NEW IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THEY SEND THEM IMMEDIATELY FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE UPGRADES COSTING THOUSANDS MORE. THEY SPEND IT AS FAST AS THEY MAKE IT. THAT'S WHY THEY NEED TO KEEP STEALING DIAMONDS. BUT THOSE DIAMONDS NEED TO BE TURNED INTO DOLLARS. FEDERAL AGENTS SAY THAT AFTER EACH THEFT, ALL OF THE DIAMONDS AND JEWELLERY WERE SOLD IN PENNSYLVANIA. BUT HOW DID THEY TURN THAT BLING INTO BENJAMINS? WELCOME TO JEWELLER'S ROW IN PHILADELPHIA. IT'S THE OLDEST DIAMOND DISTRICT IN AMERICA AND HOME TO MORE THAN 300 RETAILERS. MOST OF THEM, HONEST; A FEW, NOT SO MUCH. AFTER EACH CAPER, THE MUSCLE OF THE GROUP, ERNEST REMOR, WOULD HOP ON THE PLANE AND HEAD HERE ` NOT TO A RITZY SHOWROOM; TO THIS HOLE-IN-THE-WALL GOLD BUYER WHERE HE FENCED THE DIAMONDS. THEY FOUND A SHOP IN PHILADELPHIA THAT WOULD PLAY BY THEIR RULES, SO TO SPEAK, AND TAKEN THEIR MERCHANDISE. WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE SHOP? THREE GOLD BROTHERS. THIS IS THREE GOLD BROTHERS, AND ONE OF ITS EMPLOYEES IS THE TARNISHED ERIC JANOVSKY, SEEN HERE ON HIS MYSPACE PROFILE PAGE. HE WAS BUYING THE HOT DIAMONDS FOR COLD, HARD CASH. WE STAKED OUT THREE GOLD BROTHERS, AND WHEN THAT CHAUFFEURED WHITE ROVER PULLS UP,... I'M MATT GUTMAN FROM ABC NEWS. ...THE WELCOME THERE ANYTHING BUT GOLDEN. WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY` GET AWAY FROM ME. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DIAMONDS WERE FENCED IN THIS BASEMENT BUSINESS. I WONDER IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE... I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY. ...WHOSE DIAMONDS WERE STOLEN FROM THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. DO YOU WANNA GET THAT CAMERA OFF ME? THIS IS A PUBLIC STREET. WE'RE ALLOWED TO BE HERE. I AM NOT THE OWNER. IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU WORK HERE. WHAT DO YOU DO HERE? YOU CAN TELL ME YOU'RE NOT THE OWNER. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU DO DO HERE? NO, I CAN'T TELL YOU NOTHING. IS YOUR NAME MR JANOVSKY? ARE YOU STUPID? I JUST TOLD YOU I'M NOT HIM. SO WE FOUND THE OWNER. HOW ARE YOU DOIN', SIR? I'M MATT GUTMAN FROM ABC NEWS. WONDERING WHY STOLEN DIAMONDS WERE BOUGHT AND SOLD FROM THIS STORE. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT? NO COMMENT. NO COMMENT? NO COMMENT, AND STARTING TOMORROW, NO BUSINESS. THREE BROTHERS ARE ORDERED BY THE COURTS TO CLOSE. AND I GUESS THEY'RE NOT BEING PAID IN PAYPAL CASH. BRICKS OF CASH. I MEAN LITERALLY BRICKS OF CASH. BUT WHAT THEY DID WITH THAT MONEY VIOLATED THE CARDINAL RULE OF CRIMINALITY. THEY WERE FLASHY, THEY SPENT WILDLY, AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THESE GUYS TOLD THE WORLD ABOUT IT. MOB WANNABE MICHAEL YOUNG SHOULD'VE TAKEN A LESSON FROM A REAL GOODFELLA. I BOUGHT IT FOR MY WIFE. IT'S A COUPE. THEN, JUST LIKE DE NIRO IN 'GOODFELLAS', MICHAEL YOUNG IS SUDDENLY HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING THE TROOPS IN LINE. ARE YOU STUPID OR WHAT? DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? DON'T BUY ANYTHING, DON'T GET ANYTHING, NOTHING BIG. DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU? AND NOW YOUNG HAS BIGGER TROUBLE. THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE ARE STARTING TO COME TOGETHER FOR INVESTIGATORS. IT TOOK MONTHS OF LEGWORK, BUT MCDANIEL AND HUGHES HAVE COMPARED SIMILAR CRIMES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. FROM BIG CITIES TO SMALL TOWNS, THEY CONNECTED THE DOTS AND LINKED MICHAEL YOUNG AND HIS MINIONS TO DOZENS OF ROBBERIES. WITH ONE COLLECTIVE 'EUREKA', THEY REALISE THEY'RE ALL CHASING THE SAME GANG. THEY'RE ALWAYS ONE STEP BEHIND. RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT ALL LINKED UP. I FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF A DETECTIVE NAMED ERIC MCDANIEL IN THE PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU. THAT WAS A GREAT MOMENT FOR ME AS A DETECTIVE, BECAUSE HE HAD ONE PIECE; I HAD THE OTHER PIECE. I GET A PHONE CALL FROM A DETECTIVE AARON LEE IN LAS VEGAS. AND, AT THAT POINT, HE SAYS, 'I THINK YOU MIGHT KNOW SOME GUYS THAT I'M DEALING WITH UP HERE.' AND THEN AGAIN HE TELLS ME, 'JACK CANNON.' BASICALLY, EVERYBODY HAD TRUSTED US WITH THEIR CASE TO BUNDLE IT INTO OURS AND MAKE IT ONE BIG ONE. AND A FEDERAL CASE AT THAT, WHICH MEANS NOW THE FBI IS INVOLVED. A HUGE RESOURCE FOR US TO ELIMINATE BOUNDARIES. NOW, AFTER DOZENS OF ROBBERIES AND MILLIONS IN STOLEN DIAMONDS, THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS REAL-LIFE DRAMA IS ABOUT TO PLAY OUT. THEY NEEDED TO BE STOPPED, AND WE WERE THE PEOPLE TO STOP THEM. BUT TO FINALLY BRING DOWN THE BLING RING, DETECTIVES WOULD FIRST HAVE TO DECIPHER SOME TELL-TALE AND COLOURFUL CLUES. A BOTTLE OF RED WINE, AN ORANGE SWEATSHIRT, AND THIS BLACK INK. IT WAS QUITE A SURPRISE. JUST HOW MUCH OF A SURPRISE AND JUST WHAT ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE IN COMMON? WE'LL FOUND OUT WHEN 20/20 RETURNS AFTER THIS BREAK. WELCOME BACK TO 20/20 AND TONIGHT'S STORY, A LOOK INTO THE INVESTIGATION THAT BROUGHT DOWN ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS GANGS OF JEWELLERY THIEVES IN AMERICA. AS 'DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER' CONTINUES, POLICE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE FINALLY JOINING THE DOTS AND WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING DOWN THE BLING RING. AND THE GANG'S ABOUT TO MAKE A FATAL MISTAKE AS THEY PREPARE FOR THEIR NEXT HEIST. HERE'S REPORTER MATT GUTMAN. BEND, OREGON, A SMALL JEWEL OF A CITY IN THE PACIFIC NORTH-WEST, AND CRIME BOSS MICHAEL YOUNG IS COMING TO TOWN. TODAY, HE'S SHOPPING HERE AT SAXON'S FINE JEWELLERS. IT'S THE GANG'S NEXT TARGET, AND, AS USUAL, YOUNG IS DOING THE ADVANCE WORK. BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE RESEARCHING AND TALKING TO THE WEAKEST EMPLOYEE THAT THEY CAN IDENTIFY. BUT THIS TIME, THE KINGPIN HAS MISCALCULATED, BECAUSE HE'S ABOUT TO MEET A SHARP-EYED STORE MANAGER NAMED NATASHA HENDERSON. HE CAME IN THE STORE, AND I REMEMBER HIM. NATASHA HENDERSON CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A MAN FROM HIS JEWELLERY. I KNEW HE WAS FROM OUT OF THE AREA. HE HAD THIS BIG, KIND OF, FLASHY DIAMOND WATCH, SOMETHING MORE THAT YOU WOULD SEE IN, LIKE, MIAMI. NOT EVEN IN LA ` IT'S, LIKE, MIAMI, ATLANTA; THAT KIND OF AREA. YOUNG BROWSES FOR A BIT BUT MAKES NO PURCHASES. HE'S ALREADY GOT WHAT HE CAME FOR ` INFORMATION. HE NOW KNOWS NATASHA'S NAME, HOW SHE ACTS, HOW SHE LOOKS. AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, HE GOT A PHONE CALL. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHEN HE TOOK MY PICTURE. THEY USUALLY GO AFTER A FEMALE, IF THEY CAN, BECAUSE THEY JUST BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE THE MOST VULNERABLE PERSON TO STEAL FROM. ALL OF YOUNG'S RECON WORK WILL BE PASSED ALONG TO JACK CANNON. WHEN HE DROPS BY THE STORE, NATASHA IS NOT IN. SO CANNON LEAVES A BUSINESS CARD AND SCHEDULES AN APPOINTMENT. WHEN HE RETURNS, CANNON'S ATTIRE IS, AHEM, PAR FOR THE COURSE. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOLFERS HERE, AND HE ACTUALLY WALKED IN IN GOLF ATTIRE. THE STORY INCLUDES A PROP ` A CELEBRATORY BOTTLE OF WINE. HE WANTED TO HAVE THAT BOTTLE OF WINE FOR WHEN HIS WIFE CAME IN, AND, 'WHERE WOULD WE BE VIEWING THE DIAMONDS?' JACK SPINS A STORY ABOUT AN ANNIVERSARY GIFT FOR HIS WIFE, AND SHE'LL BE JOINING THEM SHORTLY TO LOOK AT A FEW OPTIONS. THEY BROUGHT PROPS IN AND TOLD A STORY AND HAD PROPS TO MATCH THE STORY TO PUT THE CLERK AT EASE. WITH EVERYONE'S GUARD DOWN, GENTLEMAN JACK MAKES HIS PLAY. HE KIND OF USHERED ME IN FRONT OF THEM, WHICH OFTEN GENTLEMEN DO. AND I HAD HAD THE DIAMONDS TUCKED RIGHT HERE, AND HE REACHED OVER MY SHOULDER, PULLED ON THEM. I PULLED BACK, AND WE KIND OF STRUGGLED. AND I KIND OF REALISED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. AS USUAL, THE LAST THING THE VICTIM SEES IS JACK CANNON DIVING INTO A DODGE MINIVAN WITH THEIR DIAMONDS ` IN THIS CASE, $150,000 WORTH. I MEAN, THE FBI HAVE SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THEY WERE HOT ON THEIR TAIL, BUT THEY JUST COULDN'T QUITE GET THERE. BUT IT IS HERE IN OREGON THAT INVESTIGATORS CATCH ENOUGH CLUES TO TIGHTEN THE NOOSE. FIRST, THAT BOTTLE OF WINE. THEY FOUND A FINGERPRINT ON THE WINE BOTTLE. THAT'S WHERE HE WENT WRONG. IT'S GOT JACK CANNON'S FINGERPRINTS ON IT, AND THIS TIME, THERE IS NO RISK REDUCER TO WIPE THEM OFF. INVESTIGATORS DIG FOR MORE. JACK CANNON WALKED INTO A GROCERY STORE, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS OF MR CANNON WALKING OUT OF THAT STORE WITH A BOTTLE OF WINE IN HAND. THE PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS CANNON'S LOVE OF TATTOOS. HE'S A WALKING CANVAS OF INK-STAINED ANGER FEATURING FLAMES AND A DEATH CROSS. IN THIS CASE, MR CANNON WALKED INTO THE STORE WEARING A SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRT, AND HIS TATTOOS ARE PLAINLY OBVIOUS. THIS CASE MARKS THE FIRST TIME CANNON'S MISSTEPS WILL IMPACT HIS COHORTS. REMEMBER THE BUSINESS CARD HE LEFT BEHIND? THE NUMBER ON THE CARD IS FOR A PREPAID CELL PHONE PURCHASED AT THIS RETAIL STORE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. THE PHONES HAD BEEN SHIPPED TO A SMALL GROCERY CHAIN THAT ONLY OPERATES TWO LOCATIONS HERE IN OREGON. DETECTIVES REVIEW THAT STORE'S FOOTAGE. I HAVE SOME, UH, SCREEN CAPTURES FROM THAT SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE THAT SHOW A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL BUYING THOSE THROWAWAY PHONES. HUGHES, WHO SPENT THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR CURATING SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGES OF THE GANG, RECOGNISES THE MAN INSTANTLY. THE PERSON THAT BOUGHT THE PHONE AT THE STORES IS ERNEST REMOR. WHEN HE'S PURCHASING THE PHONES, HE'S WEARING A UNIQUE ORANGE-COLOURED HOODED SWEATSHIRT. THE PHOTO IS SIGNIFICANT NOT JUST FOR WHO IS WEARING IT BUT WHERE HE'S WEARING IT. THAT WAS IN A PHOTO TAKEN OF HIM ON THE SANTIAM PASS, WHICH IS A SCENIC AREA WHERE THE THEFT WAS. SO CANNON IS LINKED TO REMOR, AND NOW REMOR WILL BE LINKED TO MICHAEL YOUNG. AT THAT TIME, ERNEST REMOR AND, UM, HIS PARTNER, MICHAEL YOUNG, WERE LIVING TOGETHER IN THE SAME HOUSE. SEARCH WARRANTS ARE OBTAINED, AND A VISIT IS PAID TO A QUIET CUL-DE-SAC IN SALEM, OREGON. A NATIONWIDE JEWELLERY THEFT RING HAS BEEN BUSTED. IT'S TAKEN A FEW YEARS, BUT DETECTIVES HUGHES AND MCDANIEL FINALLY MEET UP WITH THE MASTER CRIMINAL MICHAEL YOUNG. WHEN I WOULD TALK TO HIM AND SAY, 'HEY, YOU CAN'T SELL YOUR STUFF TO ME LIKE YOU SELL TO EVERYBODY ELSE. 'YOU CAN'T MANIPULATE ME. WE GOT YOUR NUMBER.' AND YOU COULD TELL YOU WERE HITTING HIM RIGHT ON, COS HE WAS GETTING FRUSTRATED. HE KNEW WE KNEW. (LAUGHS) IN A BACK CLOSET, HUGHES FINDS SOMETHING FAMILIAR. WHILE SEARCHING MR REMOR'S BEDROOM, I LOCATED THAT SAME ORANGE SWEATSHIRT. IN THE END, IT WAS SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHTING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR THAT CAUSED MICHAEL YOUNG INC TO BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS. GREED. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT GOT 'EM ` IT WAS GREED. IF THEY WOULD'VE JUST STUCK TO THE PLAN AND DIDN'T SHOW THE MONEY OFF PUBLICLY, WE STILL MIGHT BE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. THE FINAL TALLY IS STAGGERING. BUT NOW IT'S PAYBACK TIME. THE RINGLEADER IS SENTENCED TO NINE AND A HALF YEARS IN PRISON. ERNEST REMOR RECEIVED A 10-YEAR SENTENCE. GETAWAY DRIVER TREY ADAMS GOT AWAY WITH A SEVEN-YEAR SENTENCE. VICTOR LUPIS SERVED 22 MONTHS AND HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED. THE PHILLY FENCE, ERIC JANOVSKY, IS SERVING SEVEN AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE PEN. AND DIAMONDS WERE NOT JACK CANNON'S BEST FRIEND. HE'S DOING A 30-YEAR STRETCH FOR THE ARMED ROBBERY. FOR JEWELLERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THE CASE MARKS THE END OF A LONG ORDEAL. BUT WILL THEY CHANGE THE WAY THEY DO BUSINESS? YES. THEY ARE CONCERNED AT ALL TIMES AND OVERLY ALERT. BEFORE WE INTERVIEWED DAVID MARGULIS, WE DECIDED TO RUN A LITTLE TEST. I'M GONNA POSE AS SOMEONE WHO IS HOPING TO BUY HIS FIANCEE A BEAUTIFUL, BIG WEDDING RING. I WILL SHOW THEM MY FLORIDA ID. AND, OF COURSE, I'LL HAVE TO TAKE THIS THING OFF ` SOMEONE WHO IS NOT YET MARRIED. I MEET WITH A SALESPERSON WHO IS VERY NICE AND VERY BUSINESS-LIKE. YOUR DRIVER'S LICENCE, PLEASE. OH, OK. SHE ASKS A FEW QUESTIONS. IS YOUR BRIDE-TO-BE HERE IN PORTLAND? NO. WHEN I ASK TO COMPARE ONE DIAMOND TO ANOTHER, I'M REBUFFED. UM, CAN I MEASURE THAT AGAINST THE OTHER ONE? I CAN ONLY HAVE ONE OUT AT A TIME. MM. YEAH. I CAN ONLY HAVE ONE OUT AT A TIME. WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST DIAMOND? YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS DIAMOND? MY REQUEST SETS OFF A CHAIN REACTION. THE LONE SECURITY GUARD AT THE DOOR DISCREETLY CALLS FOR BACK UP, AND, SUDDENLY, TWO MEN ARE NOW HERE AT THE EXIT. THERE WOULD BE NO GRAB-AND-DASH TODAY. THE STORE PASSES THE TEST WITH FLYING COLOURS. THAT TIGHTENED SECURITY, THOSE HYPER VIGILANT SALESPEOPLE MAY PREVENT THE NEXT RUNNER, BUT THE MEMORY OF THE FIRST LINGERS ON. IT WAS VERY, UH, DISTURBING, BEYOND DISTURBING, UH, BECAUSE IT WRECKS YOUR TRUST FOR EVERYONE, AND IT WAS VERY UPSETTING. SO A COMBINATION OF GREED AND SOCIAL MEDIA HELPED BRING DOWN THE GANG. THERE'S A MORAL IN THERE FOR THIS DECADE. WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. KIA ORA. NGA MIHI.