Glittering facade crashes down: A Newport Beach jeweler is sentenced to prison
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Nelson Holdo, judging by accounts of those who’ve met him, is an affable man. Once thought to be a successful jeweler here in Orange County as well as in the Pasadena-San Marino area, Holdo has, over the years, frequented charity events, from galas to classic car shows and regularly dined at upscale restaurants.
Also, according to this meaty Times story about Holdo’s downfall published in June, Holdo hosted poker nights complete with models wearing expensive jewels that could be purchased by lucky players holding their winning poker chips.
And so, the Newport Beach jeweler regularly made his his rounds, sidling up to potential customers and developing a loyal clientele that saw no reason not to trust him, giving him money in advance to purchase fine goods on their behalf or asking him to sell items from their own collections of valuables.
But it became apparent to some that the trust they’d placed in their friendly jeweler had not been warranted. He had never-ending excuses as to why he hadn’t delivered what he’d promised. Some of them, having exhausted their patience, turned to the police.
At the conclusion of the work of investigators, prosecutors said Holdo stole Rolexes, diamonds and other jewelry items to the tune of more than $1.7 million. Although in June he told Times reporter Alene Tcheckmedyian from an Orange County jail cell that he was “100% innocent.”
A plea deal Holdo made last week that saw him plead guilty to three felony counts in exchange for the dismissal of about three dozen other counts, according to Tcheckmedyian’s latest reporting, would belie that sentiment.
The result? Instead of cozying up to well-heeled society in Newport Beach and Pasadena anytime soon, Holdo will remain behind bars, having been sentenced on Monday to five years in state prison.
The disgraced jeweler has been ordered to pay $1.7 million in restitution, although it’s anyone’s guess how he will comply with that order.
However, it’s not just the money she’s out that especially dismays one of Holdo’s victims.
“It would have been more honorable to have been an anonymous thief in the night,” Loretta Savery said at Monday’s court hearing in Santa Ana. “He cultivated relationships to make us think we were his friends ... He violated our sense of safety and order — that is the most insidious kind of threat.”
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4 Things to do in OC
📚 Peruse the offerings at the new, 27,000-square-foot (!!!) Barnes & Noble Booksellers at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
🧁 Be among the first to visit the new Orange County location of New York City’s famed Levain Bakery, which will open its doors at Fashion Island at 8 a.m. this Friday, Sept. 4.
🎦 Take in some — or all — of the more than 20 short films being shown this Friday and Saturday as part of the Huntington Beach Cultural Film Festival at Community United Methodist Church.
🖼️ Pay a visit to Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana by Oct. 11 to see the exhibition “A Boundary Meant to Separate,” a look at the Cold War inspired by the artist’s trip to an abandoned Nike missile site at a park near her home.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Please feel free to reach out with comments or questions at carol.cormaci@latimes.com