Joe Johnson recently got his hands on four pieces of jewelry with a combined worth of the price of a BMW 7-Series.
The Brooklyn Nets star was under the impression that he was borrowing the jewelry, but the Atlanta diamond dealer who lent him the bling thought otherwise.
Now, TMZ is reporting that Aydin & Company is filing a lawsuit against Johnson, claiming he took the jewelry but never paid. The items in question include a white gold watch with diamonds, diamond beaded bracelet, black diamond stud earrings and a white gold bezel set rosary. With interest and legal fees, the lawsuit comes out to about $266,000.
Sources close to Johnson told TMZ that the jeweler asked Johnson to wear the jewelry, but when Johnson tried to return the items he was instead given a bill.
Aydin & Company was involved in a strikingly similar lawsuit roughly one year ago, charging that the rapper Mase owed the jewelers $35,000 from a 2005 purchase. Mase said he never signed for the jewelry, and a court ruled in the rapper's favor.
Johnson is not even the only high-profile NBAer to get taken to court by Aydin & Company for supposedly not paying his bills. Earlier this year Aydin & Company sued former Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson for failing to pay his $375,000 tab. The jewelers won, and Iverson was forced to pay $859,896.46.
Memo to anyone looking to buy an inordinate amount of jewelry at Aydin & Company: make sure you've got a lawyer with you at the time of purchase.
