Bling Bandits: How a Group of Teens Stole Millions From Hollywood's Rich and Famous
In 2008 and 2009, a crew of high school friends went on an audacious spree of high-profile celebrity burglaries, netting millions in the process. Eventually, they were betrayed by one of their own
Background
The film The Bling Ring was released in 2013, directed by Sofia Coppola, and features a star-studded cast, including Emma Watson and Katie Chang. In the film, a group of teenage girls use their web surfing skills to cyberstalk celebrities and break into their homes.
The film was inspired by real-life events. In 2022, Netflix released a documentary series titled “The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist.” This mini-series provided details on the case that inspired the film, bringing public awareness to this high-profile yet rarely discussed case.
Between 2008 and 2009, a crew of teenagers strategically targeted celebrity homes in Los Angeles. Reportedly, over fifty homes were victimized by this group, including homes of some of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities.
The Bling Ring, as they came to be known, allegedly stole more than $3 million in cash and goods from the homes they burglarized. They are believed to have operated from October 2008 until August 2009, successfully evading capture for nearly a year.
“The Bling Ring”
There are seven core members of the so-called Bling Ring, though other accomplices may have been involved. The crew’s leader was said to be Rachel Lee of Calabasas, California. Rachel attended Indian Hills High School, where she first met the other crew members.
A year after graduation, Rachel had already been in trouble for shoplifting. This was not Rachel’s first experience in theft; she and fellow member Nick Prugo had stolen wallets from vehicles and gone on shopping sprees.
Nick and Rachel broke into a home in the Woodland Hills the summer before their junior year, using their stolen earnings to fund a Rodeo Drive shopping trip.
Diana Tamayo was a student at Indian Hills with a bright future ahead of her. She was the student body president and planned to become a teacher after graduation. Unfortunately, Diana found herself on probation due to her involvement in petty thefts committed alongside Rachel and others.
Another member, Alexis Neiers, was a popular student at Indian Hills High School who began hanging around Rachel and her crew. Allegedly, Alexis was only involved in one of the Bling Ring’s robberies, according to her testimony.
The final three members of the Bling Ring were Courtney Ames, Johnny Ajar, and Roy Lopez Jr. Courtney knew Rachel from Calabasas High School, which Rachel had attended prior to her expulsion and subsequent enrollment at Indian Hills.
Courtney brought her boyfriend, Johnny, into the Bling Ring’s illicit activities. Johnny acted as a fence for the group, pawning items they had stolen for money. Johnny had prior convictions for drug trafficking charges before becoming involved with the group.
Finally, Roy, a former coworker of Johnny’s, also helped sell stolen goods while also taking an active role in at least one high-profile robbery.
Celebrity Victims
The group primarily targeted female victims, as most of the members were women, and they selected their victims based on their style. The members of the Bling Ring loved wearing stolen clothing, and it has been said that most of Diana’s wardrobe was stolen.
Rachel selected the targets and planned when the robberies would occur while the rest of the group followed her lead.
One of the most notable and hardest-hit victims was hotel heiress Paris Hilton. The group raided Hilton’s mansion numerous times, and their initial thefts, consisting primarily of clothes and cash found lying around, were seemingly not noticed by Paris.
During another burglary, Roy swiped over $2 million of jewelry, cash, and clothing. After this massive hit, Paris reported the robbery to the police.
Another celebrity that was repeatedly victimized was actress Rachel Bilson, with the group visiting her home at least three times, but potentially as many as six times. They were able to steal hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of goods from Bilson’s home.
Many of Bilson’s clothes were sold off, netting several thousand dollars for the group members.
Actor Orlando Bloom and model Miranda Kerr were victimized in July 2009. Rachel convinced the group to target Bloom’s home because his girlfriend, Kerr, was a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, and Rachel wanted to steal her lingerie.
The crew made off with high-end clothes, a Rolex collection, designer luggage, and original art, which brought the total to approximately half a million dollars for this escapade.
The crew’s final robbery occurred in August of 2009 and targeted actress Lindsay Lohan. By that time, Rachel had moved to live with her father in Las Vegas, but she made the trip back to Hollywood specifically to fulfill her ultimate dream of robbing Lohan.
It’s already been established that most victims were targeted because of their style, and Lohan was Rachel’s style icon. The group was able to steal over $100,000 in clothing and jewelry.
At the time, the crew was already being hunted by law enforcement, yet they still took the risk of hitting another home.
Other victimized celebrities included Adrina Patridge and Brian Austin Green. Green was targeted because of his marriage to Megan Fox, whom Rachel considered very fashionable.
These celebrities are only the confirmed victims, but it is possible the Bling Ring may have committed additional robberies, especially given their extended spree.
Downfall of the Bling Ring
Apparently, there is no honor amongst thieves after all. Alexis Neiers reported Rachel and Nick via an anonymous tip. After reviewing surveillance footage, police arrested Nick.
Nick confessed to his role in the group’s actions and provided police with evidence on the targets identified to be next, including Hillary Duff and Miley Cyrus. With this information, authorities were able to obtain a search warrant for the other members.
After the warrants were issued, police swiftly tracked down the remaining Bling Ring members. Most of them were in possession of items later identified as having belonged to the celebrities they’d burglarized.
Each member of the group faced separate trials. Rachel was charged with three counts of residential burglary due to the stolen items found in her possession. She was sentenced to four years in prison and was paroled after serving sixteen months.
Johnny Ajar was charged with ten felonies, including drug dealing and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He pled no contest to three of the charges and received a three-year sentence. He was paroled after serving less than a year.
Nick Prugo pled no contest to his involvement in the burglaries and received a two-year sentence. He was credited for time served and good behavior.
Though Alexis Neiers allegedly only involved herself in the robbery of Orlando Bloom’s home, she pleaded no contest to her residential burglary charges, partly because of the threat of Bloom’s testimony against her. She served 30 days of her 180-day sentence.
Similarly, Diana pled no contest to her involvement in the Lindsay Lohan heist. She received three years of probation and 60 days of community service.
Closing Thoughts
The Bling Ring, despite their youth, was able to successfully execute a series of high-profile robberies across Hollywood. Their outlandish story continues to fascinate people from all over the world.
Thankfully for Hollywood stars and starlets, the crew was apprehended and brought to justice.
Sources:
“The Bling Ring.” Crime Museum, 9 Aug. 2018, www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/crime-in-the-media/the-bling-ring/.
“Bling Ring.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bling_Ring.
Caruso, Skyler. “The True Story of ‘The Bling Ring.’” People.Com, PEOPLE, 25 Mar. 2024, people.com/crime/the-real-bling-ring-true-story/.
II, Moises Mendez. “The Story behind Netflix’s The Real Bling Ring.” Time, Time, 28 Sept. 2022, time.com/6217411/the-real-bling-ring-netflix-true-story/.