The city is being asked to pay up for some bling it allegedly took while arresting a man for punching his housekeeper. In a suit filed by his insurance company, police allegedly took George Bardwil's $187,000 diamond- and emerald- encrusted gold belt buckle while arresting him in May 2009, and the insurance company is suing to get the money back from the city. Seen any cops with inordinately nice belt buckles lately?
Bardwill was arrested after punching his housekeeper so hard she wound up in intensive care, and pleaded guilty last November to a misdemeanor assault charge. He claimed he punched her because there was money missing. The suit claims the city "breached, failed and violated its duties and obligations as (custodian) of property entrusted to its care" by not returning the bauble to Bardwil. But we can all rest well knowing that Bardwil got the money to buy himself another jewel-encrusted belt buckle, lest passersby wouldn't be aware of how much money was put into holding up his pants.
