Nephew Stole, Pawned Woodbury Aunt's Wedding Ring Worth More Than $7,000: Charges

Police have charged a man with theft after they say he stole his aunt's wedding ring from her residence in Woodbury and pawned it. The ring is reportedly worth more than $7,000.

On July 28, law enforcement received information that a woman's wedding ring had been stolen from her residence on Woodbury Drive. The victim stated that the last time she saw the ring was October of 2015 in a cabinet in her bedroom. She indicated that she had surgery on her hand and was not able to wear the ring for a period of time and was storing it with the rest of her jewelry. The victim added that she suspected her nephew, Shawn Langner, 25, had taken her ring.

The victim said Langner previously lived with her and at one point she found paperwork from Pawn America showing that he had pawned a ring matching the description of her wedding ring on Nov. 27, 2015.

The victim went to Pawn America and found her wedding ring on display at the St. Paul store, according to the criminal complaint. Law enforcement was able to obtain the pawn receipts showing Langner pawned the ring on Nov. 27, 2015 and received $701.50 for the ring.

The ring is an 18K platinum ring with one .75 carat diamond surrounded by .30 carats of smaller diamonds and is valued at $7,250.00, according to a certificate of appraisal.

On July 29, 2016, Langner called his aunt, the victim, from St. Cloud Correctional Facility where he is currently an inmate. The call was recorded. During the phone conversation, the victim confronted Langner about her stolen wedding ring and that she found the pawn paperwork in his vehicle, according to police.

"Why my ring?" the victim asked. According to the criminal complaint, Langner said that he needed money for gas, a phone and "trying to keep my bills and everything together." Langner said is sorry for his actions and that the ring was the only thing he stole from her, according to police.

Image via Minnesota Department of Corrections