YOUNGSTOWN – The Mahoning County grand jury will decide whether a Columbiana business owner will face trial on charges of felony theft.

Visiting Judge Diane Vettori on Monday granted the request made in Youngstown Municipal Court by prosecuting attorney Shelli Freeze that the case against William Kimpel, owner of Kimpel’s Jewelry & Gifts, be bound over to the grand jury.

Freeze argued during the preliminary hearing there is probable cause to believe a crime occurred last year, while Kimpel’s defense argued the matter was not criminal but civil, and should be settled that way.

Kimpel, 55, was arrested by U.S. Marshals at his home on Terre Verde in Columbiana in November and charged with fourth degree felony theft.

His jewelry store is located in the Columbiana Plaza. Kimpel was arrested after his own former attorney, David Detec, reported to police that on Oct. 29 Kimpel sold a ring given to him on consignment but never gave him the money.

Kimpel attended Monday’s hearing but did not make any statements. He was represented by Youngstown area attorney John Juhasz.

Detec was asked to the witness stand and fielded questions from both Freeze and Juhasz.

He said the ring was given to him in August 2013 by his daughter, Leah Detec, who divorced from her husband earlier that year and wanted to sell it.

The ring was appraised for $15,750 and his daughter’s request was that it be sold on consignment with her not to receive anything less than $10,000 net as a result, he said.

He claimed the ring was given to Kimpel with his daughter’s permission on Aug. 22, 2013.

In late 2013 Detec said he informed Kimpel his daughter had found a buyer for the ring and she wanted it returned to her if no one else was interested.

“I requested the ring be returned on numerous occasions,” he said, adding Kimpel responded to those requests with many varied “excuses,” including that he was attending a coin show, his mother was sick, and even that he had been bitten by a spider.

At one point Detec said he learned through several other people that Kimpel had sold the ring, prompting he and his daughter to request the proper payment, which they also never received.

Kimpel’s response, Detec said, was that the purchaser had requested a custom-made mounting for the ring – which he was making – and the purchaser requested time to raise the additional money required for the deposit.

Juhasz then asked Detec if he gave Kimpel a written specific timeframe in which to sell the ring, and Detec said he did not, although there was a consignment contract between his daughter and Kimpel.

Juhasz continued to argue that Detec never provided any written documentation stipulating the ring had to be returned in a certain timeframe, saying, “He could still be out trying to sell the ring for $1 million and give your daughter $10,000.”

Freeze countered that Detec was notified in October 2013 that Kimpel had already sold the ring, however. She then told the judge that because Kimpel was given a ring more than a year ago, which he sold, and has yet to provide any money for it, there is probable cause for criminal intent.

Vettori sided in her favor.