The police released photographs of a woman who is accused of stealing $500,000 in uncut diamonds from a gem dealer earlier this month. Police say Erika Cooper is the hooker that Kurt Kaiser met at a Central Park South bar and who eventually stole his property after their Cosmopolitan Hotel hook-up on April 17.
Kaiser told the Post "he had been drinking heavily and drowning his sorrows after losing out on a deal to sell the uncut stones." Enter Cooper (who also goes by the name of Bianca Williams), who asked if she could keep him company. One thing led to another and next thing you know, Cooper's asking him to buy her a $500 gift card AND a box of condoms on their way to the hotel. Kaiser claims that after he fell asleep, Cooper absconded with the (uninsured) diamonds, which were in a suitcase that he put in a drawer.
The NYPD describe the 34-year-old Cooper, who lives in Manhattan, as approximately 5'9", 120 lbs., small build, with brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information in regard to this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
As for the diamonds, Diamond District dealers say no one there would buy uncut diamonds from a stranger, but they could end up in a foreign market.
