Lil' Kim robbed of $250,000 in jewelry at New York's JFK Airport

Jet, July 14, 2003

Popular rap star Lil' Kim won't be wearing her signature diamond-encrusted necklace with a crowned "B" on it anytime soon.

The ultrasexy and fashion-trendy rapper, with a penchant for bling-bling jewelry, says that someone stole that custom-made necklace and another custom-made item, both totaling $250,000, from her luggage at JFK Airport in New York.

Lil' Kim was on her way to Los Angeles for the BET Awards when she went to JFK. She planned to carry on a Louis Vuitton bag filled with jewelry worth an estimated $500,000. Among the items were the two custom-made necklaces.

After she boarded the plane, she realized that the carry-on was mixed up with other pieces of her luggage and luggage belonging to her entourage at the check-in counter.

The flight was delayed and the bag was retrieved after Lil' Kim realized the error. But once the bag was returned, it appeared to be "tampered with," Mel Sachs, her attorney, told the New York Daily News.

Apparently, an outside flap and a jewelry holder inside had been opened, said Sachs. Other items such as rings and earrings weren't missing, but the customized pieces were gone.

The bag was tested for fingerprints and baggage handlers and other airport employees, said Sachs, were tested for polygraphs.

Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said Lil' Kim used her real name, Kimberly Jones, and "filed a report for lost jewelry." He added that "the incident is under investigation by the Port Authority police."

Sachs said that though Lil' Kim was upset, she "should be commended for acting responsibly and being patient."

Known for her revealing outfits and ever-changing hairstyles, Lil' Kim isn't the only celebrity to have jewels stolen at the airport. In 1995, a baggage handler pleaded guilty to stealing Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson's $375,000 diamond necklace and bracelet.