Last October, former Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Andre Reed shared the news that his hotel room in London was broken into and burglarized, with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring among other valuables stolen. Reed was in London at the time for the Bills’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gary Towsey was sentenced last week by inner London crown court to 25 months in prison after admitting to charges of handling stolen goods and fraud, according to the Guardian.
Towsey was seen on closed-circuit television wearing Reed’s ring and carrying a Gucci bag that was also among the items stolen from Reed’s room. He then tried to sell the ring in a jeweler’s store in Leeds for more than 35,000 British pounds, but the sale was declined. Instead of buying it, both the jeweler and a nearby pawn shop helped him dismantle the ring into parts so he could break it up for its jewels, per the Guardian.
Towsey was arrested on suspicion of the theft a day after being released from prison on another crime.
In his victim impact statement, Reed said, “My Hall of Fame ring was totally unique and meant so much to me. There was only one and it was so very special having been made and presented to me in recognition of all of my NFL sporting achievements. I am really proud of that and I cherished it as I know how much personal effort, hard work and sacrifice I had put into my playing career.
“I am now totally gutted that I will never see my ring again. It really upsets me at the thought of the ring being dismantled and sold on. I hope all those concerned are held responsible for their actions.”
Reed was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2014, making him one of seven Bills from the franchise’s four-time AFC champion days in the early 1990s to be enshrined in Canton. Those teammates include Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and James Lofton, as well as head coach Marv Levy and general manager Bill Polian.
