Man Allegedly Stole Girlfriend's Ring to Buy Her ... an Engagement Ring

Police say a Louisiana man stole his girlfriend's ring, pawned it, and then used that money to put a down payment on an engagement ring for her. Justin Pope, 29, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly nabbing the ring belonging to Samantha Futch, 40. As the Smoking Gun notes, separate addresses are listed for Pope and Futch and she is referred to in an affidavit as Pope's "then-girlfriend," so they are presumably no longer together.

The alleged incident took place in 2019, and it's not clear why it took so long for Pope to be arrested. Police say Pope returned two weeks later for the ring, valued at almost $4,500, but it had already been melted down for scrap. Earlier this year, another man was accused of stealing an engagement ring from one of his girlfriends and using it to propose to another, NBC News reports. (More weird crimes stories.)