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WILKES-BARRE — It was a simple headline in the classified advertising section of the Times Leader:

“Stolen Ring — Sentimental Value”

The ad, taken out by Linda Johnson of Hazleton, goes on to tell the story of how the ring was “stolen from my dresser by a man who helped install windows in her home in May of 2016.”

The ad states that the owner of the company that the alleged perpetrator works for has been “uncooperative.”

In the ad, Johnson said the “owner is more concerned about his reputation than his customers.”

The ad describes the missing ring as “a square-shaped gold peridot birthstone ring with a small diamond on each side.”

Then the ad gets sentimental.

We are told that the ring is “priceless” because it was given to Johnson by her parents more than 50 years ago. The owner promises “a handsome reward” to anyone who either has the ring and returns it or for information leading to the ring’s recovery.

The ad warns that the stolen ring could have been “re-gifted” or pawned.

Johnson said she just wants the ring back. She said she contacted Hazleton police, but the investigation failed to find the ring or the person who removed it from Johnson’s home.

Johnson said her mother passed away in February. She said a few months later, she was getting dressed for a meeting with her lawyer and she decided to wear the ring her parents gave her.

“That’s when I opened the box and found the ring was gone,” Johnson said. “I miss my mom, and I’m having a hard time dealing with that. That ring meant the world to me. I pray every day that the person who took it will bring it back.”

Johnson said she continues to search for the ring, hoping that maybe it just fell on the floor, but she has determined that one of the workers took it.

“With the holidays coming, I decided to take out the ad,” she said. “Hopefully someone will have a heart and make sure the ring is returned to me.”

By Bill O’Boyle

[email protected]

How to help

If anyone has information about the missing ring, please call Linda Johnson at 570-454-4148.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.