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The Bling Ring (also known as Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch, The Burglar Bunch, and the Hollywood Hills Burglars) were a group of seven teenagers and young adults based in and around
Calabasas, California Calabasas (from Spanish language, Spanish ''calabazas'' "gourds") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, between the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains, Santa Susanna mounta ...
, convicted of multiple thefts. They broke into the homes of several high-profile celebrities over a period believed to have been between October 2008 through August 2009. Their activities resulted in the theft of about $3 million in cash and belongings. Much of the stolen property belonged to socialite
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
, whose house was broken into several times, though over fifty homes were reportedly targeted.


Bling Ring members


Rachel Lee

Lee, the supposed ringleader of the group, lived in Calabasas with her mother. She was expelled from
Calabasas High School Calabasas High School is a four-year high school in Calabasas, California, United States. Calabasas High School, which serves Calabasas and portions of West Hills, Los Angeles, is one of three high schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School Dis ...
and later attended Indian Hills High School, an
alternative school An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientati ...
that awarded her a creative arts scholarship upon graduating. A year later, she was fined and put on probation for
petty theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
after she and Diana Tamayo stole $85 of merchandise from a
Sephora Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, n ...
cosmetics store. According to fellow burglar Nick Prugo, Lee was obsessed with
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
. Toward the end of the crime spree, Lee moved to Las Vegas to live with her father.


Nick Prugo

Nicholas Frank Prugo transferred to Indian Hills High School after being expelled from Calabasas High School for excessive absences. In 2003, Prugo had a role as "Kenny" in ''Little Lost Souls: Children Possessed'', a made-for-TV quasi-documentary about the
exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
of children whose parents believed them to be possessed by evil.Little Lost Souls: Children Possessed? (TV 2003) â€” IMDb
/ref> Lee befriended Prugo after he arrived at Indian Hills and introduced him to most of the other people who would eventually join the crime spree. The two initially bonded over their interest in fashion and social media. After being accepted into her circle of friends and participating in their nightlife activities, Prugo became hooked on drugs and began stealing from his parents to support his addiction. The first home they burgled together occurred during the summer after
tenth grade Tenth grade or grade 10 (called Year Eleven in England and Wales, and sophomore year in the US) is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten or the tenth year after the first introductory year upon entering compulsory schooling. In many parts of ...
, when he claims that Lee suggested they burgle the residence of an acquaintance from Woodland Hills whom Prugo knew to be out of town at the time. Prugo claims to have been reluctant but did not want to risk losing her friendship. During that first burglary, they reportedly discovered $8,000 in cash hidden under a bed. They split the money, and the next day went on a shopping spree on
Rodeo Drive Rodeo Drive is a street in Beverly Hills, California, with its southern segment in the City of Los Angeles. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The ...
. Prugo and Lee began checking the doors of expensive cars parked in their neighborhood to see if they were unlocked on an almost nightly basis. They would take credit cards found in the cars and go shopping the next day in areas like
Melrose Avenue Melrose Avenue is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles that starts at Santa Monica Boulevard, at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. It ends at Lucile Avenue in Silver Lake. Melrose runs north of Beve ...
. They would be dressed well, and according to Prugo, merchants never questioned their use of the cards. He was sentenced to two years in state prison after pleading
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
to 3 counts of first-degree residential burglary. He was released from prison on probation after serving one year.


Alexis Neiers

Alexis Neiers Alexis Christine Haines (née Neiers; born June 20, 1991) is a member of the " Bling Ring" and a former television personality. At the age of 18, she was arrested for her involvement in a string of burglaries that targeted the homes of multiple c ...
had been part of Lee's social circle at Indian Hills. Alexis claims to have only been involved in the one robbery at Orlando Bloom’s house. Police searched her home and reported that they found stolen items in the possession of Neiers, her sister Gabrielle, and their adopted sister Tess Taylor, and that she was caught on camera leaving the scene of the crime with stolen bags. She initially denied any wrongdoing, but later changed her plea in court to no contest.


Diana Tamayo

Diana Tamayo was the student body president at Indian Hills, where she had been voted "best smile" and been awarded a $1,500 "Future Teacher" scholarship after graduation. Along with Lee, she had been fined and put on probation for engaging in petty theft. According to Prugo, her entire wardrobe consisted of stolen items. Her small size was utilized during one burglary in which she gained the group access to a home by crawling through a
dog door A pet door or pet flap (also referred to in more specific terms, such as cat flap, cat door, kitty door, dog flap, dog door, or doggy/doggie door) is a small opening to allow pets to enter and exit a building on their own without needing a human t ...
. She was also an undocumented immigrant and was initially threatened with deportation by the police to get her to cooperate.


Courtney Ames

Courtney Ames was a Calabasas High School student and an "old friend" of Lee's.Maxim: "Breaking Into Hollywood"
www.maxim.com (2009-12-14)
It was through Ames that the others met Lopez and Ajar, her boyfriend.


Johnny Ajar

Johnny Ajar, a former convict, is not believed to have participated in the burglaries, but was recruited by Ames, his girlfriend, to sell some of the stolen items for cash. He was raised in housing projects around Reseda, outside of the group's community, the son of a career criminal and drug addict. He had previously spent two years in federal prison, having been convicted for
drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...
in
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
at age 22. Ajar first met Ames and her friends at a nightclub called The Green Door and allowed them access, even though they used fake identification documents. At the time of the burglaries, he worked as a promoter for club Les Deux Café.


Roy Lopez Jr.

Roy Lopez and Ames had worked together at a restaurant and bar in Calabasas. Ames had recruited him as a reseller, and he also participated in burglarizing at least one victim,
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
, from whom he is alleged to have stolen $2 million in jewelry, which he carried out with him in a
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...
bag. He was unable to sell most of it.


Reported victims

The group targeted media figures known for their fashionable tastes and stylish, status-driven lifestyles. Their primary targets were female, having been chosen, in the words of Prugo, "mainly because fwomen wanting women's stuff". If the members liked a celebrity's style, they became determined to steal the celebrity's clothes. Lee referred to their capers as "going shopping." They found the houses of their targets using
Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
and website celebrityaddressaerial.com, and determined when the victims would be away by researching their schedules, such as appearances at celebrity events, through websites including
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. When Lee wanted to add to her wardrobe, or more cash was desired, a burglary would be undertaken. The
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
report later stated that what began as a "twisted adventure" fueled by celebrity worship "quickly mushroomed into an organized criminal enterprise." In the words of Neiers, Lee "was so manipulating, so conniving. Nick always did what she said. Rachel was in charge. She started it all."


Paris Hilton

For their first celebrity target, Prugo claims that he and Lee asked themselves, "Who would leave a door unlocked? Who would leave a lot of money lying around?" and chose
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, and entertainer. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Beverly Hills, California, she is a great-granddaughter of Conra ...
because they figured she was "dumb." On their maiden trip to Hilton's home, Prugo and Lee went alone, having used
Google Earth Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...
to find a place to access her community via a hill climb. They went up to the front door and tried ringing the
doorbell A doorbell is a signaling device typically placed near a door to a building's entrance. When a visitor presses a button, the bell rings inside the building, alerting the occupant to the presence of the visitor. Although the first doorbells were ...
to see if anyone was there. They discovered a key under the doormat, but then realized it was not needed because the door was unlocked. Once inside, Prugo served as a
lookout A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...
near the stairs. At the same time, Lee went into the bedroom and searched through Hilton's belongings. Prugo and Lee, later accompanied by other members of their group, ended up burgling Hilton's residence at least five different times, mostly of designer clothing and money. However, it was not until Lopez single-handedly stole nearly $2 million in jewelry, clothing, cash, and other items from Hilton that she reported having been burgled. Antics during the Hilton burglaries included snorting cocaine, which Prugo claims they found inside the residence. According to Ames, at one point Prugo discovered that he could fit into Hilton's footwear, and did a "victory dance" wearing a pair of her high-heeled shoes; Prugo subsequently denied ever wearing Hilton's shoes. Later, Hilton agreed to having the film ''The Bling Ring'' shot in her house where the burglaries took place.


Audrina Patridge

The ring burgled the home of
Audrina Patridge Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American television personality, model and actress. In 2006, she rose to prominence after being cast in the reality television series '' The Hills'', which chronicled the personal and professional lives of Patridge ...
on February 22, 2009, the night of that year's Academy Awards ceremony. They accessed her home in
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...
by entering an unlocked door and took jewelry, her passport, her laptop computer, and custom-fit jeans. The value of what they took was estimated to amount to around $43,000. Lee and Prugo were recorded on Patridge's surveillance videos, which Patridge uploaded to her website. Despite the videos being posted, the burglaries continued.


Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson Rachel Sarah Bilson (born August 25, 1981) is an American actress. Born to a Californian show-business family, Bilson made her television debut in 2003, and then landed the role of Summer Roberts on the prime-time drama series ''The O.C.'' Bils ...
's home was burgled by the group three to six times during April and May 2009, amounting to between $130,000 and $300,000 of stolen property. Prugo claimed to have always been very nervous during the burglaries, but said that Lee was always very calm and focused â€” so much so that during a burglary of Bilson's home on May 9, Lee used Bilson's bathroom. The Bilson burglaries yielded so much in the way of clothes and accessories that members tried to relieve themselves of some of it by selling it at the
Venice Beach Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...
boardwalk, where they were able to make a few thousand dollars.


Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr

The Ring targeted
Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), ''The Two Towers'' (2002), a ...
's home on July 13, 2009, because Lee wanted the lingerie of Bloom's then-live-in girlfriend (and later ex-wife),
Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ret ...
model
Miranda Kerr Miranda May Kerr (; born 20 April 1983) is an Australian model and businesswoman. Kerr rose to prominence in 2007, as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australia ...
. Prugo, Neiers, Lee and Tamayo accessed the premises by cutting through a security fence. Once inside, they stole a large amount of high fashion-label clothing, Bloom's vintage
Rolex Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex'' as the brand name of ...
watch collection,
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...
luggage, and artworks; in all totaling nearly half a million dollars. Neiers, who denies having gone there knowingly, was high on heroin at the time and was reported as having gone outside to vomit and then urinate in the bushes. Tamayo and Lee went back inside because the latter was planning to move to her father's home in Las Vegas and wanted Bloom's art to decorate with.


Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox

Brian Austin Green Brian Austin Green (born Brian Green; July 15, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, television personality and podcaster, best known for his portrayal of David Silver on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–2000). Green was al ...
's home was targeted, because, according to Prugo, Lee liked the clothes of his wife at the time, actress
Megan Fox Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
. While there, the group also found and took Green's
SIG Sauer Several brother companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer . The original company, ''Schweizerische Waggon-Fabrik'' (SWF), later ''Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft'' (SIG), went through several selloffs, ...
.380 semi-automatic handgun, which police later found in the possession of Ajar.


Lindsay Lohan

Even though by August 2009 Lee had moved into her father's place in Las Vegas, she felt compelled to return to California for yet another burglary, the target being
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
, who was Lee's "ultimate fashion icon" and "biggest conquest." On the 23rd, Lee, Prugo, and Tamayo allegedly stole around $130,000 worth of clothes and jewelry from Lohan's home in Hollywood Hills. According to Prugo, Tamayo and Lee were "freaking out" over Lohan's things. By that time, they were well-publicized criminals at large. Prugo was especially worried about the burglary, knowing that if they were captured by surveillance cameras stealing from the star's home, the footage would be widely seen.


Investigation and criminal proceedings

Alexis Neiers informed police that Lee and Prugo were responsible for the Lohan burglary during an anonymous phone call. Prugo's face had been captured on surveillance at the home, and the police determined through Facebook that Lee and Prugo were friends. Prugo was arrested and initially denied having had anything to do with the burglaries, but said that anxiety due to his involvement was preventing him from being able to eat, sleep, and breathe normally, and made him lose his hair. He confessed to the police without first getting a plea deal, telling them about crimes they were not even aware had been committed. He also told the police the ring was still researching other potential targets, among them
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
,
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
,
Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...
, and
Vanessa Hudgens Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in ''Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006â ...
. Two weeks after Prugo's confessions, search warrants for the other ring participants were issued by the Los Angeles Police Department. Lee, Tamayo, Ames, Neiers, and Lopez were all subsequently arrested for their connection to the burglaries. Lee was taken into custody while at her father's home in Las Vegas. Police reported that she calmly asked them hypothetical questions about how it might help her if she did have information and shared that information with the police. Their report stated that she believed she had removed all incriminating evidence from her home. However, police found a coat identified as belonging to Lohan and topless pictures of Hilton left in an unlocked safe in Hilton's home. Seeing this, Lee was reported to have instantly turned hysterical, acting as though she were suddenly sick and gagging as though she were going to vomit. Other items reported to have been seized from Lee were a jar of marijuana and more than $20,000 in $100 bills. ''People'' magazine reported that the ring members except for Lee were booked for residential burglary, with bail set at $50,000. Simultaneously, Lee was held for "possession of stolen property," with bail set at only $3,000. However, '' Vanity Fair'' reported that Lee was charged with residential burglary for the Lohan, Hilton, and Patridge heists. At the time of the arrests it was unclear whether the burglary of the Bilson residence and other burglaries of the
Kourtney Kardashian Kourtney Mary Kardashian (born April 18, 1979) is an American media personality and socialite. In 2007, she and her family began starring in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''. Its success led to the creation of ...
and
Hayden Panettiere Hayden Lesley Panettiere (; born August 21, 1989) is an American actress, model, and singer. She is best known for her lead roles as Claire Bennet on the NBC superhero series ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'' and Juliette Barnes in the Am ...
homes had been committed by the group. Among items reportedly seized by police from Ajar were three guns, drugs, and a laptop computer with aerial photos of 51 homes in Hollywood Hills. He was thus charged with additional offenses related to weapons and drug possession. Whereas Lee was reportedly charged with three residential burglary counts, Prugo was charged with seven, each count carrying sentences between 2 and 6 years. All members initially pleaded not guilty.


Ajar

Ajar, who had previously been sentenced to three years in prison for selling cocaine, was initially faced with ten felony charges — six counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition — and pleaded not guilty to all of them. Later, however, he pleaded
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
for selling cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of receiving stolen property. The stolen property charge referred to a Rolex watch owned by Orlando Bloom. On April 15, 2010, Ajar was sentenced to three years in jail. He was released less than a year later, in March 2011. Ajar was reported to be back in jail as of May 2013.


Neiers

After learning that
Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), ''The Two Towers'' (2002), a ...
was willing to testify against her, Neiers agreed to plead no contest to residential burglary. She was sentenced on May 10, 2010, to a jail term of 180 days, with an additional three years of probation, and was ordered to pay $600,000 worth restitution to the actor. During her stay at the Century Regional Detention Facility, she occupied the same cell block as Bling Ring victim Lindsay Lohan, but says they never spoke to each other. After serving 30 days of her sentence, she was released. In December 2010, Neiers was arrested again, this time for possession of
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
. Rather than being sentenced to further time behind bars, she was allowed to live at a luxury rehab facility in Malibu for a year, having been offered her stay free of charge by the facility's owner, who attended her hearing. She was at the facility from December 2010 until December 2011. In an entry posted to her blog in April 2013, she stated that she has been sober since then and has become a counselor interning at the facility. She is now married to Canadian businessman Evan Haines, whom she met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. As of early 2022, both Neiers and Haines announced their separation on Instagram. They both still co-parent their children.


Lee

Alleged ringleader Lee was sentenced on October 26, 2011. She had pleaded no contest to the burglary of over $25,000 worth of valuables from Audrina Patridge's home. Judge Larry Fidler dismissed a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary as well as two counts filed against her for receiving stolen property. He had also previously dismissed charges against her involving the Lohan burglary. Lee was sentenced to four years in prison. Lee's prison coach, Wendy Feldman, was quoted as saying, "She has taken full responsibility for her actions. Her attitude is that she is very much ready to go to prison and face the consequences." Regarding the role Lee played in the burglaries, Feldman went on to state, "To be honest, Rachel has a learning disability, she doesn't have a particularly high IQ, and I find it hard to think she could have been the one to instigate the whole thing." While serving time, Lee participated in a disaster relief training program called Fire Camp. In March 2013, after having served 1 year and 4 months, she was released on parole.


Tamayo

On October 19, 2012, after pleading no contest to having burgled Lindsay Lohan's house, Diana Tamayo was sentenced to three years of probation, as well as 60 days of community service. If convicted at trial, she would have faced up to six years in prison. Her lawyer claimed she had admitted to police that she broke in after they threatened her family with "immigration consequences." She is reportedly pursuing a career in fitness and nutrition, and has credited her found relationship with God that turned her life around.


Lopez

Roy Lopez Jr. was sentenced on November 8, 2012, after pleading no contest to stealing over $2 million of jewelry from Paris Hilton. He was given three years of probation and credited for 100 days he had already served in jail. He reportedly left California for a job in Texas.


Ames

Courtney Ames was sentenced on December 14, 2012, to three years of probation and two months of community service. She had admitted to having received a jacket stolen from Paris Hilton. Still, charges against her of conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary, and receiving stolen property were dismissed in light of possible ethics violations on the part of detective Brett Goodkin, the main investigator in the Bling Ring case. She enrolled in college, where, according to her lawyer, she was studying psychology, speech, and child development.


Prugo

Having pleaded no contest to the burglaries of Patridge and Lohan, Nicholas Prugo was sentenced on April 15, 2013, to two years in prison. He received credit for a year of time already served, and was further credited with a year for good behavior and work time. He was reported to be living in
Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...
as of June 2013.


Detective Brett Goodkin

Brett Goodkin, the chief investigator in the case, was approached as a consultant for ''
The Bling Ring ''The Bling Ring'' is a 2013 crime film written and directed by Sofia Coppola featuring an ensemble cast led by Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, and Claire Julien. It is based on the 2010 '' Vanity Fair'' article "Th ...
'', Sofia Coppola's film adaptation of the case. He was later offered the opportunity to play himself in the film. However, he allegedly wasn't granted permission from his superiors to work on the film, and his involvement led to him being investigated. A potential conflict of interest was cited because when he was working with the filmmakers, the cases against the defendants had not yet been resolved.


Film depictions

''The Bling Ring'', a television film documenting the group's activities, aired on Lifetime on September 26, 2011. This adaptation changes the names of the gang members. It starred
Austin Butler Austin Robert Butler (born August 17, 1991) is an American actor. He began his career on television, first in roles on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and later on teen dramas, including recurring parts on The CW's ''Life Unexpected'' (2010â ...
as Zack Garvey (based on Nick Prugo), Yin Chang as Natalie Kim (based on Rachel Lee), Tracey Fairaway as Cherry Cox (based on Diana Tamayo), and Tom Irwin as Detective Archie Fishman (loosely based on Det. Brett Goodkin).
Jennifer Grey Jennifer Grey (born March 26, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film ''Reckless'' (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986). She subsequently earned worldwide ...
had a supporting role as Garvey's mother, Iris. Another film adaptation, also titled ''
The Bling Ring ''The Bling Ring'' is a 2013 crime film written and directed by Sofia Coppola featuring an ensemble cast led by Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, and Claire Julien. It is based on the 2010 '' Vanity Fair'' article "Th ...
'', directed by
Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola (; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and actress. The youngest child and only daughter of filmmakers Eleanor Coppola, Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, she made her film debut as an infant in her father's acclaimed ...
was released theatrically in June 2013. The film, which starred
Emma Watson Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women's rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, includi ...
(Alexis Neiers),
Taissa Farmiga Taissa Farmiga (; born August 17, 1994) is an American actress. Born in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, she is the younger sister of actress Vera Farmiga. Her numerous appearances in horror films have established her as a scream queen. Farmi ...
(Tess Taylor) and
Leslie Mann Leslie Jean Mann (born March 26, 1972) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including ''The Cable Guy'' (1996), ''George of the Jungle'' (1997), '' Big Daddy'' (1999), '' Knocked Up'' (2007), '' 17 Again'' (2009), '' Funn ...
( Laurie), as well as newcomers
Israel Broussard Isaiah Israel Broussard (; born August 22, 1994) is an American actor. He made his film debut in the comedy-drama '' Flipped'', and is known for his roles in the crime film ''The Bling Ring'' (2013), the drama ''Perfect High'' (2015), the thrille ...
(Prugo),
Katie Chang Katherine Chang (born May 3, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca Ahn in ''The Bling Ring'' (2013), Ellen Reeves in ''A Birder's Guide to Everything'' (2013) and Claire Connors in '' The Outcasts'' (2017). Early li ...
(Lee),
Claire Julien Claire Alys Pfister (born January 11, 1995), known professionally as Claire Julien, is a former American actress. She is known for her role as Chloe Tainer in Sofia Coppola's crime film ''The Bling Ring'' (2013). Julien was born in Los Angeles, ...
(Courtney Ames), and Georgia Rock (Gabby Niers), also changes the names of the members. One of the ring's real-life victims, Paris Hilton, appeared as herself in the film. Tamayo or a character based on her was written out of the film, but her act of crawling through a pet flap remained, having been done by a relative of a ring member. On April 25, 2022, a three-part documentary series called ''Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist'' premiered on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, featuring interviews with Prugo and Alexis Neiers, as well as reconstructions of the group's crime sprees in the late 2000s. The docuseries was subsequently picked up by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
and released as ''The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist'' on September 21, 2022.


See also

*
Bling-bling Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly: expensive and ostentatious possessions" such as grills and designer bags. The term arose as slang, but grew into a cu ...
*
Juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. In the United States of America, a juvenile delinquent is a person ...
* '' Law & Order: Los Angeles'' premiere episode (air date: September 29, 2010) bases a Hollywood crime circle on the Bling Ring


References

{{Reflist


External links


ABC News: "Hollywood Burglaries: How They Did It" Nick Prugo, member of alleged teen "Bling Ring," describes celebrity burglaries.

ABC News: "Bling Ring" Celeb Burglar Sentenced to Prison: Photos of Rachel Lee and Alexis Neiers
2000s crimes in the United States 2009 crimes in the United States 21st-century American criminals American people convicted of burglary Criminals from California Historical gangs of Los Angeles Jewel thieves Wealth in the United States