Just days prior to the start of filming for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 12, Dorit Kemsley‘s new Encino Hills farmhouse was robbed. Inside, Dorit and her children slept, completely unaware, while Paul “PK” Kemsley slumbered away in London, where he was for work. Shortly after, video footage emerged. In this, two suspects (who are still at large) were shown, breaking in through the Kemsley’s back door.
Shockingly, this wasn’t their first run-in with a home invasion. Back in 2018, their Beverly Hills mansion was also robbed, sans their presence. Luckily on this one, the two suspects were caught. Here’s everything that we know about the robbery, the arrests that were made, and where this case currently stands.
The Robbery
Posing as a Beverly Hills Realtor, Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, and his partner, Jason Emil Yaselli, an actual realtor, teamed up to burglarize multiple celebrities homes, including the Kemsley’s. At the time, Dorit and Pk had their mansion listed for sale. Dressed to the nines, Benjamin attended their open house, bringing along a hidden, sinister motive; scouting their home for valuables. As for Dorit and PK, they were out of town.
This all sounds far-fetched, but wildly, the men kept their ruse up for a lengthy period of time. “People didn’t challenge him when he walked into their houses…He acted the part,” LAPD Detective Jared Timmons said, explaining how their process happened right underneath the noses of everyone in attendance at each of their chosen open houses.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, restated by Patch, open houses were key in the facilitation of this scheme. From December 2016 through August 2018, Jason allegedly encouraged Benjamin to steal luxury items from 14 of his listed homes, only to then sell the items for a proceed, which was then used to make payments on Jason’s credit card. In total, they stole $2.5 million worth of luxury items from Dorit and PK’s mansion. Prosecutors revealed that Benjamin deposited between $5,500 and $20,000 into Jason’s account each month, following each of his hauls.
These two men also robbed from Usher, former NFL player Shaun Phillips, former Vanity Fair’s deputy editor Punch Hutton, Jason DeRulo, and Adam Lambert. Wildly, they got the largest haul from the Kemsley’s.
Dorit’s Robbers Were Arrested, Pleas Were Given
Several months after this 2018 event transpired, two arrests were made In Dorit’s home robbery case. As for these arrests, Benjamin pleaded no contest. Gary Jay Kaufman, Benjamin’s attorney, said that his client “has accepted responsibility for what he did.” However, he is “contesting and proceeding to trial on the charges that he is innocent of,” which consists of three additional charges, one of which includes Shaun’s NFL-purchased mansion.
In conclusion, Benjamin’s plea involves 11 counts of residential burglary, 28 counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Benjamin gave an admission to being a part of a white-collar crime enhancement.
As for Jason, he pleaded guilty to one count of residential burglary and two counts of money laundering. He also admitted to being involved in a white-collar crime enhancement. Despite never stepping foot onto the properties, Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Strodel labeled Jason “just as responsible” for these crimes.
The Sentencing
What matters the most is that no one was physically harmed in any of Jason and Benjamin’s crimes. Nor was anyone harmed in Dorit’s second home invasion, where a gun was even branded and pointed at Dorit. It goes unsaid that material possessions can always be replaced, while innocent lives clearly cannot. The safety of this beautiful family is really all that matters.
That said, we love justice. Last month, Benjamin was found guilty by the Los Angeles Superior Court. Following this guilty verdict, Benjamin appeared in court just last week for his sentencing. Looking at the ground, adorned in a prison uniform and handcuffs, Benjamin stood before a few of his victims, who each came to read aloud their victim impact statements.
According to Daily Mail, Benjamin was sentenced to a lengthy 31 years behind bars. Unfortunately, the status of Jason’s criminal case is still unclear. As for Dorit, she remains understandably affected by the traumatic events that have unfolded. In turn, Dorit has turned to therapy to help her cope.
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