A former Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. employee accused of stealing rough stones worth thousands of dollars pleaded guilty to theft in a Yellowknife courtroom Monday.
Samson Mkhitaryan, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over $5,000 in NWT Supreme Court.
Mkhitaryan, an ex-employee at the Diavik diamond sorting plant located near the Yellowknife airport, was charged in March after security at the facility reported the suspected theft of diamonds to RCMP. It's alleged Mkhitaryan pocketed pricey stones between December 2017 and February 2018.
Investigating Mounties were shown surveillance footage of a man, alleged to be Mkhitaryan, placing uncut diamonds into his pocket while on the job, according to court documents.
Police say a search of Mkhitaryan's residence in March, detailed in RCMP search warrant documents - not yet been tested in court - led to the recovery of 29 rough diamonds from his garage.
Mkhitaryan will be back in court on Dec. 17 to set a date for sentencing.