Willow Glen Resident
News
Police investigate Willow Glen jeweler suspected of selling phony diamonds
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
A Willow Glen businessman is under investigation after San Jose police saw him on a local news broadcast Feb. 21 admitting that he sold poor-quality diamonds under the pretense that they were of higher quality.
According to the NBC11 report, Darren Kimura bought what he believed were diamond earrings from Gerald Dan Mokma's Willow Estates/D&D Willow Estates at 1302 Lincoln Avenue in 2006, and after an appraisal, learned that they were cubic zirconia.
In the report, Mokma told the broadcast journalist, "I regret that. I did do that, and I deeply regret that. And I've been doing everything I can to make it right."
The report caught the eye of San Jose police.
"We've opened up a criminal investigation based on the interview and what the guy said," said Enrique Garcia, police spokesman. "We weren't aware of the alleged frauds because we hadn't been contacted."
Previous to the newscast, no reports had been made to either the San Jose police or the Santa Clara County District Attorney. Only one report was filed over the past 36 months with the Better Business Bureau for sales practice issues at the Willow Glen store.
Mokma could not be reached for comment.
Customer Stephanie Glass said, "I was shocked."
Her engagement ring was purchased from Mokma's shop in 2005.
The transaction is the only one Glass has had with Mokma.
"My husband's college friends had recommended him," she said.
After reading on Willow Glen 2.0, a local website similar to Myspace, that there were customers who discovered that their diamonds were of lesser quality than originally believed, Glass took her diamond to an appraiser and was assured hers is the real thing.
"It's all very unbelievable and inexcusable, and I'm very relieved that we weren't affected by him," she said.
One resident initially thought he, too, had been victimized and took his jewelry to an appraiser.
"We had two others look at the diamond, and everything matches up with the cert that Dan gave us," said Tony Huston.
Willow Glen resident Kurtis Tali also bought his wife a diamond from Willow Estates in 2006 and had it checked by three different jewelers, all with the same results.
"It was what it was supposed to be," Tali said in an e-mail.
Others, however, were not so lucky.
One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she purchased diamonds from Mokma that were of lesser quality than what she paid for.
She decided to have her jewelry appraised after reading about a March 7, 2006, robbery at the shop that had gone awry and hearing rumors that Mokma had set it up. She said the whole incident led her to question his integrity.
According to Santa Clara Superior Court documents, Mokma admitted to fabricating the robbery and shooting himself in the leg.
He was charged with two misdemeanors related to the 2006 robbery, including making a false police report and reporting a false emergency. He pleaded guilty and served 20 days in a weekend work program and received a two-year court parole.
"It's important for us to investigate the claim," Garcia said. "People make accusations. We want to ensure this person doesn't victimize anyone else. Give them a chance to go through the system and explain themselves."
Possible victims of fraud involving Willow Estates Jewelry can contact the San Jose Police Department Fraud Unit at 408.277.4521.
