Local jewelry store owner arrested in multi-million dollar fraud scheme

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE R.I. (WLNE) – The owner of Kent Jewelry, a wholesale distributor based out of Johnston is accused of swindling others out of nearly 5 million dollars.

Gerald Kent, a 51-year-old of Groton CT, appeared in Federal Court today facing two felony charges.

According to court documents the 51-year-old devised a fraud scheme that entailed creating hundreds of fake invoices that he delivered to a factoring company.

The documents say those fake invoices were mainly from Groupon and Zulily.

Kent was arrested at Foxwoods where ABC 6 News has learned he has quite the gambling history.

According to the casino’s records, prosecutors say Kent has been to the casino 116 times in 2017 gambling $4.8 million.

In his history at the Connecticut resort were told he’s spent $43 million.

Prosecutors say the jewelry store owner has a cocaine addiction which costs him $500 to $600 a day.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017