Pa. Man Caught Selling Dead Wife’s Ring Faces Fraud Charge

A suburban Philadelphia man was charged with insurance fraud after authorities said he reported his dead wife’s ring stolen and then tried to sell it online.

Police said Gary Blank, 37, of Bensalem, Bucks County, reported his wife’s 14-karat gold diamond ring stolen two years after she died of breast cancer.

The state Attorney General’s Office said Blank received $23,000 from his insurance company before trying to sell the gold band on the eBay auction site. Before placing the ring up for sale he removed the three-carat diamond and gave it to a woman living with him, according to a criminal affidavit.

State agents said they searched Blank’s home in Bensalem and found the ring hidden in a bottle of laundry detergent.

Blank was arrested Thursday and sent to Bucks County Prison on $50,000 bail.