LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Court documents reveal new details about Jewelry & Watch Doctors owner and jeweler Doc Lee. His ex-girlfriend Kelly Nguyen confirmed his real name is Dung Le. Earlier this month, a district court judge has released an arrest warrant for violating terms of his probation.
According to court documents, Le is a convicted felon found guilty of theft at two jewelry stores he worked at in Las Vegas in 2021. One of them was The Jewelers on Western near Sahara Avenue.
"He came in for a bench test as a jeweler and he was here for a few days. Right away he proved to be a pretty good jeweler," said shop manager Lisa Wagasky. "The second day, he went to lunch and never came back with a couple things."
Le stole multiple pieces of jewelry by rolling up the pieces in a towel, stuffing the towel down his pants and walking out of the business in September 2021, according to court documents.
"It was devastating to learn that pieces were gone," said Wagasky.
Wagasky said thankfully, after getting authorities involved, they were able to quickly recover all the stolen items. But she is disheartened to learn he was able to open his own store front.
"I would think that that would be impossible to do," said Wagasky. "At some point, he could be taking something priceless to someone."
Shortly after the case in Las Vegas, court documents reveal a Las Vegas Metro Police Department detective was contacted by Scottdale Police Department in Arizona who said Le had applied for a job as a jewelry technician there, and ran away from the business with multiple pieces of jewelry.
Le's ex-girlfriend said he then made her pawn those items. She said she didn't know they were reportedly stolen.
In October 2021, Clark County District Attorney Steven Wolfson filed a motion to remand Le without bail claiming he, "failed to maintain good behavior required by law while on release" and "engaged in similar actions within the new case."
However, a judge dismissed this motion. Shortly after in the same month, the state and Le entered a guilty plea agreement which Le agreed to pay restitution to victims and have him on probation.
But in 2022, Lee opened Jewelry and Watch Doctors on Charleston near Durango in the west valley. According to the Nevada Secretary of State website, Le is not a registered agent for the business.
The registered agent Thoi Nguyen claims Le used his name to open the business without his knowledge.
Former Clark County District Attorney David Roger said for nonviolent crimes such as what Le was accused of, courts often decide to put the offenders on probation.
"This person is not a threat to the physical lives," said Roger. "He's certainly a threat to businesses."
Channel 13 also found out he was accused of theft in Maryland. A jewelry store in Maryland confirmed Le reportedly stole items from customers when he was the owner there.
