Woman allegedly swallowed ring in attempted theft

LAS VEGAS - A woman charged with stealing a $4,000 diamond ring by swallowing it in a jewelry store has agreed to a plea bargain.

Prosecutors say Lori Carroll will plead guilty to two charges next week, in an agreement that could lead to a lengthy prison term.

The 32-year-old Carroll is accused of swallowing a ring after a sales clerk gave it to her to look at last month.

Carroll denied at first that she had the ring. Police, though, arrested her and took her to a local hospital where X-rays revealed she had swallowed the ring.

Ten days later she passed the ring, which still had the price tag attached, in the Clark County Detention Center.

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Scott Mitchell said the deal calls for Carroll to plead guilty to burglary and grand larceny when she is arraigned Dec. 13.

While both charges carry 1- to 10-year sentences, Mitchell said the district attorney's office also has the option of asking the judge to declare Carroll to be a habitual criminal, which carries a mandatory 5- to 20-year prison term.

Mitchell said Carroll, who he described as a ''Southern belle'' with a history of theft, already has five felony convictions in Georgia and has used a string of aliases.