Thief who stole American footballer’s Hall of Fame ring jailed for two years

A thief who left an American football legend “totally disappointed” by taking apart his stolen Hall of Fame ring to sell the gems has been sentenced to more than two years in prison.

Andre Reed, who played as a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills in the 1980s and 1990s, reported that the ring and other valuables, including passports, had been stolen from a room at the Leonardo Hotel in London last October.

Gary Towsey, 39, was sentenced to 25 months in prison at Inner London Crown Court last week after admitting dealing in stolen goods and fraud. There was no evidence linking him to the Leonardo Hotel burglary, but he also admitted another hotel burglary.

Towsey was captured on CCTV carrying Reeds’ ring and a Gucci bag, which had also been stolen from Reeds’ room, when he entered a jewellers in Leeds. He attempted to sell the ring, which was worth more than £35,000. The jewellers refused because there was no manager present to authorise the sale.

Towsey then walked a few doors down to a pawnbroker, who also refused to buy it. But when he asked for the ring to be taken apart and returned to him in pieces, both shops helped break it up for the jewels.

The following day, the suspicious jewelers’ employees contacted Reed via social media when he confirmed the ring had been stolen. The information was then passed on to City of London Police.

Towsey was arrested the day after he was released from prison for another crime.

The gems have since been returned to Reed.

In a victim impact statement, he said: “My Hall of Fame ring was totally unique and meant so much to me. There was only one and it was so special that it was made and given to me in recognition of all my NFL sports accomplishments. I am truly proud of it and cherished it knowing how much personal effort, hard work and sacrifice I put into my playing career.

“I am now completely devastated that I will never see my ring again. It really upsets me to think of it being taken apart and sold. I hope that everyone involved is held accountable for their actions.

He added: “The ring is priceless, it was one of a kind and cannot be replaced. It is so unique and unusual that I am surprised it has not been identified for what it was. If you search on the internet you can easily find all the details about it and many photos. It would be impossible for someone who stole it not to know what it was and what its real value is.”

Reed, 60, was in London for a Buffalo Bills game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In a social media post about the break-in, he said he felt “unsafe and violated.”