A $58,000 sofa? Inside the surprising crime scene of LA’s ‘funniest’ crime scene

Paul was sure it was Zack, but he had no proof. So he offered a reward through his Instagram account, and it worked like a charm. Someone sent Paul surveillance video of a man who appears to be Zack dragging brightly colored couches from his building.

Paul passed the evidence to the police. He also texted Zack some of the surveillance footage, along with a message.

“This was the worst decision you ever made,” Paul wrote. “I will make you famous.”

The threat did not appear to have the intended effect. While the police were investigating, there was a second burglary in Merit, eight days after the first.

The masked robber, captured on surveillance video this time, was wearing black gloves with purple latex. Among the items stolen were a 1920s-era Goyard trunk ($32,000), a Gucci snakeskin desk set ($4,800) and an aluminum chair designed by Pierre Guariche ($3,500), according to Paul.

Once again, Paul sent the evidence he had to the police. By then she had learned something to the contrary: Someone had sent her Zack’s profile on the dating app Hinge, which included a photo of Zack’s dog curled up on Paul’s stolen couch.

Days later, Zack was arrested and charged with three counts of burglary. According to prosecutors, on the same day he stole from Paul’s store for the first time, he also hit another furniture store, this one in Beverly Hills.

Arrest was a long time coming for Paul. And then, he had another reason to celebrate.

After the second robbery, he received a tip that there was a large object covered in a blanket in the back seat of Zack’s car. Paul suspected it was his $32,000 trunk.

“So I called the guy,” said Paul, “I told him straight away, ‘I want you to break into this car.'”

Paul made a simple offer: $2,000 if you return the trunk, $1,000 if not.

A feast.

Within an hour, Paul said, he received a call from “his guy.”

“He starts laughing,” and “says, ‘You owe me two good things.'”

His ‘modus operandi’

Sitting in prison will sometimes scare a young person downright. Apparently that wasn’t the case for Zack Vincler.

She was released on a $60,000 bond on May 4, 2023. About four weeks later, someone broke into the home of Emily Hills, Emily Oberg, founder of the Sporty & Rich fashion brand, police said. The thief stole Pierre Paulin Elysee floor lamps, worth $10,000 each, as well as five designer chairs and other items, police said.

Emily shared surveillance footage with the Los Angeles Police Department, and it led to the detective who previously investigated Zack, according to a police report.

That detective noticed that the suspect bore a striking resemblance to Zack, who “worked as a designer of expensive mid-century modern furniture,” the report said.

The podcasting duo who interviewed Emily after the break-in described Zack in flattering terms: “The coolest thief in Los Angeles.”

An intense investigation led to Zack’s arrest and other criminal charges – seven in all. After spending eight months in jail, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served for burglary and identity theft.