By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A woman who stole diamonds and furs from posh apartment showings in Manhattan ducked a felony rap Tuesday when prosecutors dismissed larceny charges against her as part of a plea deal.
Jessica Joyner, 42, of Manhattan, pleaded guilty in 2007 to lifting the pricey items in a real estate robbery spree on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side and New Jersey.
Because Joyner complied with the terms of her plea agreement, which included a shoplifting rehabilitation program and staying out of trouble, prosecutors dismissed her felony grand larceny conviction in favor of a misdemeanor.
Joyner and her co-defendent, Jennifer Jones, 39, were dubbed "Thelma and Louise" by the local tabloids when they were picked up by police. The duo would show up at the high-end open houses pretending to be interested in the real estate, and then rob them.
Joyner stole the items to fund her prescription drug habit, her lawyer said.
"Some would say this was a cry for help," Joyner's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told the New York Post. "The Manhattan DA's office did the right thing here."
The case against Jones was sealed after she pleaded guilty.
