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Four young men who pleaded guilty to robbing Santa Fe homes and businesses as part of a cocaine-fueled burglary tiffany were sentenced Monday to five years of probation.

State District Judge Michael Vigil told the four -- Alberto Treto-Rodriguez, 20, Santos Treto, 18, Trevor Alarid-Heidal, 21, and Travis Marien, 20 -- he wanted them to get jobs and begin paying restitution estimated to be at least $40,000 to their numerous victims.

He warned the young men that he would send them to prison if they didn't successfully complete charm bracelet.

Police have said the ring fielded a day crew of mainly juveniles who concentrated on breaking into homes, while a night crew concentrated on businesses. The ring operated from July 2007 until January of this year. Three of the men involved admitted that cocaine was the main motivation behind the burglaries.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old woman who police have said may have acted as a fence for the stolen property, or may have sold the burglars cocaine, was indicted last week. Jaqueline Vega -- who allegedly told the burglars how to break into a store where she worked at Santa Fe Place mall -- has been charged with racketeering, conspiracy, criminal solicitation and four counts of receiving stolen property.

Police have said a relative of Vega's may have worked with her. Prosecutor Lara frank gehry said Monday that the case remains under investigation. She said Vega had items at her home from three or four of what was estimated at more than 30 burglaries.

Vega allegedly gave the burglars information about the Foot Action shoe store at the mall and how to break into the store and its safe, police have said. She received $1,000 from that burglary plus $2,500 more that she was owed for cocaine, police have said.

Vega is scheduled to be arraigned in January.

Treto-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy, two counts of burglary and two counts of larceny. He faced up to 15 years in prison.

Treto pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary and one count of conspiracy and faced up to nine years in prison. Alarid-Heidal pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary, three counts of larceny and one count of conspiracy. He faced up to 15 years in prison.

The rowdy Phillies fan who got tossed from a playoff game in October, then stopped while leaving to fill out a tiffany application and allegedly stole an envelope containing three World Series rings, failed to appear for his court hearing yesterday.

For that, Matthew Mervine, 22, of Berlin, got slapped with a bench warrant.

But he somehow figured out that he was supposed to be in Municipal Court at 11th and cheap money clips Streets in South Philadelphia yesterday, and went to his local police station to let them know he didn't mean to blow off his criminal case, said Capt. Laurence Nodiff, commander of South Detectives.

Philadelphia police were contacted, and told Mervine to show up at the Criminal Justice Center in the next few days to schedule a new court date, Nodiff said.

What, if any, penalty he might face is uncertain. Often, bench warrants are lifted and the case proceeds if the person shows up with a half-decent excuse.

Nodiff said he didn't know what excuse Mervine had for failing to appear.

Mervine could not be reached for comment yesterday.

On Oct. 8, Mervine and a few friends were ejected from Game 2 of the playoff cheap pendants against the Colorado Rockies for being obnoxious.

On his way out, police said, Mervine decided to go to the Phillies offices to apply for a job. After filling out an application -- with his name and address -- Mervine noticed on a counter a manila envelope bearing the name of a former Phillies player, police said. He swiped the envelope, which contained three 2008 World Series rings worth $1,100 each, police said. The commemorative replica rings are worth far less than the $11,000 rings given to players, coaches, and other employees.

The case was easy to solve. The application contained Mervine's name and address, and the entire episode was caught on video. Within a few hours, police arrested Mervine at his home on Coleman Road and charged him with theft and receiving stolen property.

Bells are ringing, and not just at Christmastime, for the Stafford Regional Handbell Society, a tiffany group of student performers who practice the age-old art at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in North Stafford.

There's no doubt that bell ringers are more in demand during December. The Stafford group -- the 2:49 Ringers -- has three performances this month in Richmond and the Fredericksburg area.

But long after holiday decorations are taken down, the students, who silver necklaces from second-graders to a high school freshman, still will be ringing English hand bells in Room 249 of the church.

"You're working together to produce something cool," said Karen Me, a 13-year-old in the advanced group. "It's something you can't do by yourself, but when you work together, you can make something really amazing."

The students were introduced to hand bells three years ago, and the Stafford group of 33 ringers has become the largest youth hand bell choir in the region, said Neesa Hart, program director.

She and Director Phillip Lanier hold practice every Thursday of the year, except Thanksgiving and in the summer.

They bring a fun approach to ringing, especially with youngsters just learning the instrument that goes back to the Bronze Age.

First, they teach the basics of reading music, and that involves a lot of cheap tiffany.

During a recent practice with beginners, it was hard to hear the strains of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" over the sound of "one-two-three-four" and the stomping of feet on the floor.

Lanier also stressed the proper look. He reminded beginners that, until he signals for them to pick up their bells, their hands should be at their sides -- not crossed, on the table or picking at ears or noses.

"Yeah, no pick and flick," echoed bell ringer Bethany Reilly.

Everyone puts on black gloves during performances, but the group wore pink, yellow and green gloves during practice to protect the bronze casting on the bells.

At one point, Lanier slipped a white glove on his right hand to demonstrate a technique.

The Colorado Department of Law (Attorney General) issued the following tiffany release:

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that a Boulder County rings on sale Court judge has sentenced Ismael Lopez (DOB: 1/24/1972) to 20 years in prison for his role as the ringleader of an identity theft ring that broke into cars parked at trailheads and parks in Boulder, Broomfield and Jefferson counties.

According to his indictment, Lopez and three others broke into the vehicles, stole credit cards and then used the card to make fraudulent purchases at stores throughout the Metro Denver area. Lopez and the other suspects used the stolen cards to buy video games, gift cards, groceries and electronics between July 2008 and September 2008.

Lopez pleaded guilty to violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, a class-two felony, on Oct. 28, 2009.

The Office of the Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Unit investigated bracelets on sale and obtained the indictment from the Statewide Grand Jury with the assistance of the Broomfield Police Department and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The Office of the Attorney General and the Boulder County District Attorney's Office jointly prosecuted Lopez's case.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

As its name implies, EternityDiamonds.com has a staff that understands how important - and lasting - a diamond tiffany is to a couple. With that in mind, EternityDiamonds.com offers its online customers a chance to see what a ring looks like before making a purchase decision.

EternityDiamonds.com's "Try It Before You Buy It" service is just that: a way for consumers to see - and try on - up to three replica rings with no obligation. For example, a silver and cubic zirconium look-alike would be sent as a replica for a white gold and diamond engagement ring.

"It's a whole new way to buy products online," said CEO Eli Rendler. "It's cheap key rings and hassle-free for the customer. 'Try It Before You Buy It' is a courtesy to our customers; we simply ask shoppers to return the samples within seven days in the prepaid envelope provided."

Rendler said the "Try It Before You Buy It" service is especially helpful for customers who don't live near a jewelry store or who want options beyond what local stores offer: "We're bringing the store to the customer. It's truly a virtual store."

"We're extremely dedicated to customer service," Rendler continued. "We want to make sure people are happy." Toward that end, EternityDiamonds.com is willing to custom design any ring and has a 30-day return policy. The company also will not only match a competitor's price and refund 100% of the price differential, but will also refund an additional 10 percent.

In addition to exemplary customer service, Rendler said what distinguishes EternityDiamonds.com from its competitors is their new and up-to-date styles. Rendler explained, "Because our company sells to bridal jewelry stores across the country, we know the pulse of the marketplace."

Other customer-oriented features of EternityDiamonds.com include free FedEx cheap necklaces shipping and educational resources providing information on diamond shape, cut, color, clarity and weight. They offer thousands of diamonds to choose from and a ring builder to customize your perfect engagement ring.

In addition to the try-at-home service, for a limited time EternityDiamonds.com is offering a free pearl necklace with your diamond ring purchase. To find out more, visit http://www.eternitydiamonds.com or call 888-348-4245.

About EternityDiamonds.com

As third-generation jewelers, EternityDiamonds.com's parent company has been in the jewelry business for over 35 years. EternityDiamonds.com manufactures and sells directly to the consumer. Its diamonds are certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Wesley H. Morris, Austin, Texas, has developed a buried guard ring structure method. The tiffany was issued U.S. Patent No. 7,629,654 on Dec. 8.

The patent has been assigned to Silicon Space Technology Corp., Austin.

According to the abstract released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Semiconductor cheap key rings can be fabricated using conventional designs and process but including specialized structures to reduce or eliminate detrimental effects caused by various forms of radiation. Such semiconductor devices can include the one or more parasitic isolation devices and/or buried guard ring structures disclosed in the present application. The introduction of design and/or process steps to accommodate these novel structures is compatible with conventional CMOS fabrication processes, and can therefore be accomplished at relatively low cost and with cheap necklaces simplicity."

The original application was filed on Dec. 3, 2007.

For further information please visit:http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=7629654&OS=7629654&RS=7629654 For more information about US Fed News contract awards please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, US Fed News, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.

Intrastromal corneal ring implantation in keratoconic corneas markedly reduced corneal tiffany but did not influence corneal biomechanical characteristics, a study showed.

The authors assessed biomechanical and morphological changes in keratoconic corneas implanted with Intacs intrastromal corneal ring segments (Addition Technology).

"To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows that Intacs placement changes the morphological characteristics of the cornea but not the biomechanical viscoelastic response parameters, such as [corneal hysteresis] and [corneal resistance factor]," the authors said.

The retrospective study included 18 eyes of 18 patients with a mean age of 31.3 years (range: 13 to 50 years). Patients underwent a complete ocular examination before surgery and 6 months after surgery. Investigators performed corneal topography with the Orbscan II (Bausch & Lomb) and assessed biomechanical factors with the Ocular Response Analyzer (Reichert).

Mean preoperative corneal hysteresis was 7.7 mm Hg and mean postoperative corneal cufflinks was 7.4 mm Hg. Mean preoperative corneal resistance factor was 6.6 mm Hg and mean postoperative corneal resistance factor was 6.1 mm Hg. Neither reduction was statistically significant.

"In our study, both IOP and central pachymetry remained stable postoperatively and thus played a role in the lack of a significant change in [corneal hysteresis] and [corneal resistance factor] values," the authors said. "We hypothesize that because of the lamellar structure of the cornea, the [intrastromal corneal ring] segments might reshape the center of the cornea without changing the fundamental biomechanical properties of the corneal tissue, at least in the short-term postoperative period."

However, mean minimum and maximum central keratometry values decreased more than 5 D; the differences were statistically significant (P < .0001).

Further study with a larger patient group and longer follow-up interval is needed to money clips the effect of Intacs implantation on corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor, the authors said.

An inmate accused of participating in a prison drug ring involving smuggling of cocaine and tiffany into Four Mile prison here was sentenced Wednesday to an additional three years.

Stefan Schutter, 27, pleaded guilty to felony criminal attempt to commit possession with the intent to distribute the controlled substance heroin. He was sentenced to three years in prison to be served after the sentence he currently is serving for robbery, drug abuse and theft convictions.

The drug ring allegedly involved several inmates at the prison as well as people from cheap rings, Aspen and Denver. Inmate Josh Jost, 36, of Pueblo, pleaded guilty to an identical charge earlier this year and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Investigation into the drug case started in September 2008 when both heroin and cocaine were discovered at the minimum-security Four Mile prison. Corrections Investigator Bill Claspell focused on milk truck driver Henry Verstraete of Pueblo, who was accused of accepting $200 to transport drugs from his home in Pueblo to inmates working at the prison cow dairy.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Verstraete told Claspell that the only contraband he had smuggled into the prison was tobacco and creatine, a weight-lifting supplement. Verstraete, 46, has been charged with introduction of contraband and is slated to enter a plea Dec. 17. Another inmate, Joshua Belo, 28, was charged with conspiracy to commit distribution of a controlled substance, but that charge was dismissed Nov. 19.

Stefan Schutter's brother, Devin Schutter, 30, of Aspen, is charged with cheap bracelets to commit unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and is slated to return to court Dec. 17 for a possible plea.

tharmon@chieftain.com

Credit: The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Bells are ringing, and not just at Christmastime, for the Stafford Regional Handbell Society, a growing group of student tiffany who practice the age-old art at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in North Stafford.

There's no doubt that bell ringers are more in demand during December. The Stafford group -- the 2:49 Ringers -- has three performances this month in Richmond and the Fredericksburg area.

But long after holiday decorations are taken down, the students, who range from cheap necklaces to a high school freshman, still will be ringing English hand bells in Room 249 of the church.

"You're working together to produce something cool," said Karen Me, a 13-year-old in the advanced group. "It's something you can't do by yourself, but when you work together, you can make something really amazing."

The students were introduced to hand bells three years ago, and the Stafford group of 33 ringers has become the largest youth hand bell choir in the region, said Neesa Hart, program director.

She and Director Phillip Lanier hold practice every Thursday of the year, except Thanksgiving and in the summer.

They bring a fun approach to ringing, especially with youngsters just learning the instrument that goes back to the Bronze Age.

First, they teach the basics of reading music, and that involves a lot of Valentine's Day gift.

During a recent practice with beginners, it was hard to hear the strains of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" over the sound of "one-two-three-four" and the stomping of feet on the floor.

Lanier also stressed the proper look. He reminded beginners that, until he signals for them to pick up their bells, their hands should be at their sides -- not crossed, on the table or picking at ears or noses.

"Yeah, no pick and flick," echoed bell ringer Bethany Reilly.

Everyone puts on black gloves during performances, but the group wore pink, yellow and green gloves during practice to protect the bronze casting on the bells.

At one point, Lanier slipped a white glove on his right hand to demonstrate a technique.

"Hey, I look like Michael Jackson," Lanier said.

"Dead ringer," deadpanned Hart.

Lanier turned more serious with the intermediate group, and he got down to business with the advanced choir, called RING IT!

The advanced group was two days away from performing with the prestigious James River Ringers in Richmond, and Lanier wasn't happy when the members seemed distracted.

A gang enforcer with an "ugly motive" has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his tiffany in a violent extortion ring run by a Victorian fruiterer.

Vince Mantovani, wearing an open-necked crimson dress shirt and a black suit, said "I love you" to his weeping mother as he was led away from the dock after his sentencing on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old bodybuilder and enforcer for convicted mobster Vincent Latorre helped bangles rival Goulburn Valley farm owners in northern Victoria with a campaign of fear, intimidation and death threats.

"You do what you want, when you want, without regard to the law," Victorian County Court Judge Felicity Hampel told the court during the two-day sentencing process.

"You're entrenched in what can only be described as a thuggish lifestyle."

The court heard of the gang's history of blackmail and sabotage between 2002 and 2006 designed to drive rivals out of business, squeezing them for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In one case, Mantovani drove four men to Rocco Orsida's orchard late at night after the gang discovered he had propositioned Mantovani's ex-girlfriend.

While Orsida paid $40,000, more than 1,000 of his trees and irrigation equipment was destroyed.

Latorre had once told his enforcer that it was much better to inflict financial pain than to assault someone.

"Revenge is an ugly motive and deserving of condemnation and punishment," Judge Hampel said.

Mantovani, who used steroids for over a decade and sold them to other rings, also travelled to Melbourne's Footscray market in 2006 to threaten rival fruiterer Harry Paskins.

He helped Giuseppe Campisi, a "fringe player" in the extortion ring, demand $300,000 from Mr Paskins. If he didn't pay up, he was told: "We will shoot you. We know where you live."

Another rival had his cars firebombed and another had his dogs and crops poisoned.

Some families who were forced to pay large sums of money finally had enough and called police.

Mantovani had pleaded guilty to all charges including blackmail, intentionally destroying property and drug and firearms offences.

He will not be eligible for parole for at least four years, and was also fined $2,500.

BRIAN WESTBROOK owes you nothing.

He owes nothing to this town, to these teammates, to the tiffany that made him rich, because he made it significant.

Still, he should play. He owes that to himself.

Westbrook suffered two concussions in 20 days. He hasn't been hit since the second money clips, 31 days ago. There's a good chance his brain has healed, though, damningly, he said it hadn't healed after the first one.

Westbrook, perhaps the best running back in Eagles history, should come back, this week or next.

He should conduct a brief farewell tour. He should relieve flagging rookie LeSean McCoy. He should enjoy fresh legs late in a season that matters.

He should risk his health, if he wants, and make this run to the playoffs, and maybe deep into the playoffs, because, at this stage of his career -- rich and lauded and beloved -- winning a Super Bowl is what he plays for.

He can make a claim for the Hall of Fame, especially if his career is cut short by a concussion demon. He was, for a while, by far the best player on a consistently good team that played in a very tough division.

He has nothing to prove. Nobody who plays in the NFL after falling into Villanova's pendants needs to prove anything, and Westbrook's two Pro Bowls are a solid indictment of the blue-chip system of recruitment.

He doesn't need to prove to himself or to anyone else that he's tough enough to take a pounding. Clearly, he is not.

Westbrook has missed at least one game every season. He's only 30. Due to make almost $10 million in 2010, which could be a year without a salary cap, Westbrook is certain to be cut by the Eagles after this season. Given his injury history even before the concussions, he would, at best, be a low-money, 1-year risk elsewhere, adding insult to his injuries.

Why bother?

Make a run toward a title this season, then quit.

Quit before the knees and ankles never forgive you, and before the head swims in an agony of pain and confusion.

When a Salvation Army bell ringer working at a Broomfield supermarket emptied her donation tiffany Thursday afternoon, she found an unexpected treasure among the coins and bills.

Someone -- no one but the secret Santa knows for sure who -- quietly slipped an envelope containing two rings into a donation kettle outside the King Soopers at 136th Avenue and Zuni Street.

One of the rings was a piece of costume jewelry, according to Tom Fenton, a captain with the Salvation Army of Boulder and Broomfield Counties, but the other was an antique platinum and diamond wedding ring valued at up to $1,400.

"You expect people to be generous at Christmas," he said. "You don't expect someone to give something as personal as a wedding ring. This, to me, just seems to be a random act of kindness."

The rings were left in a plastic pill keeper along with a note that said, "For the Salvation tiffany 1837," but offered no clues about the giver's identity.

Fenton said there's no mistake that the rings were left intentionally, but it's a mystery why.

"I don't know if it was from someone with a full heart or a broken heart," he said.

He said he's never heard of anything so valuable being left in a Broomfield or Boulder-area donation pail, although some anonymous giver has left a few rare gold coins in Salvation Army kettles throughout the state each year since 2002.

The antique ring left Thursday was appraised by a jeweler at $1,200 to $1,400, Fenton said. The Salvation Army plans to auction or otherwise sell the ring to benefit its local charitable programs, which include a children's after-school program and assistance with rent, food and medical prescriptions.

"Right now, it looks like a platinum and diamond ring," Fenton said. "It will look like food boxes and rental assistance when we're done."

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie at 303-473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.

How to help

The Salvation Army of Boulder and Broomfield Counties is seeking return to tiffany. Bell ringers will be at local supermarkets and other locations through the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Donations can also be made online at salvationarmy.org.

Credit: Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.

A new year, 2010, is on the horizon, offering the tantalizing tiffany for a fresh start.

Here are some New Year's Eve festivities planned to greet 2010. Check ads in today's Showcase for other possibilities:

Countdown Seaside

The Merchants of Seaside are putting on the Ritz for Countdown Seaside on New Year's Eve with a familyfriendly cheap money clips featuring live entertainment, kid's art projects and a fireworks display over the Gulf of Mexico.

Festivities begin at 7 p.m. and last until midnight.

The celebration kicks off in the amphitheater with a performance by Delta Highway at 7 p.m., followed by the Grammy-winning Zydeco sounds of Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience at 9:30 p.m.

Welcome 2010 with a fireworks display at midnight. Abrakadoodle will be on hand 7-10 p.m. offering free art projects for children. E-mail the Merchants of Seaside at ashiland@seasidefl.com.

New Year's Eve Gala

DESTIN -- The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is ringing in the New Year with an evening of glamour and glitz at the resort's 25th annual New Year's Eve Gala -- An Evening in Times Square.

Enjoy a festive evening of dining, dancing and celebrating. Dance the night away to the sounds of renowned party band Blues Other Brothers. Partygoers will also feast on regional cuisine and have a champagne toast at midnight.

To add the ease and safety of taking the elevator home, book a special package including gala tickets,cheap pendants, onsite Kids Krew child care (restriction apply; ages 5-12), keepsake photo and more starting from $460 per couple.

Event packages without accommodations start from $339 per couple. All seating will be on a first-come, firstserve basis; must be 21 years of age or older to attend New Year's Eve Gala. For reservations, call 800- 367-1271 and mention Package Code "NYE."

HarborWalk

DESTIN -- Gather with friends and family for a memorable New Year's Eve experience with free live entertainment, fireworks and a ball drop at HarborWalk Village.

A family friendly celebration on the harbor includes kid's activities, creative facepainting, street performers and more.

Fireworks show over the Destin Harbor begins at 8 p.m. and again at midnight. Live entertainment by Darryl Buchanan and The Reflections begins at 9:30 p.m. This five-piece show band has toured with Jr. Walker, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations.

A new year, 2010, is on the horizon, offering the tantalizing tiffany for a fresh start.

Here are some New Year's Eve festivities planned to greet 2010. Check ads in today's Showcase for other possibilities:

Countdown Seaside

The Merchants of Seaside are putting on the Ritz for Countdown Seaside on New Year's Eve with a familyfriendly cheap money clips featuring live entertainment, kid's art projects and a fireworks display over the Gulf of Mexico.

Festivities begin at 7 p.m. and last until midnight.

The celebration kicks off in the amphitheater with a performance by Delta Highway at 7 p.m., followed by the Grammy-winning Zydeco sounds of Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience at 9:30 p.m.

Welcome 2010 with a fireworks display at midnight. Abrakadoodle will be on hand 7-10 p.m. offering free art projects for children. E-mail the Merchants of Seaside at ashiland@seasidefl.com.

New Year's Eve Gala

DESTIN -- The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is ringing in the New Year with an evening of glamour and glitz at the resort's 25th annual New Year's Eve Gala -- An Evening in Times Square.

Enjoy a festive evening of dining, dancing and celebrating. Dance the night away to the sounds of renowned party band Blues Other Brothers. Partygoers will also feast on regional cuisine and have a champagne toast at midnight.

To add the ease and safety of taking the elevator home, book a special package including gala tickets,cheap pendants, onsite Kids Krew child care (restriction apply; ages 5-12), keepsake photo and more starting from $460 per couple.

Event packages without accommodations start from $339 per couple. All seating will be on a first-come, firstserve basis; must be 21 years of age or older to attend New Year's Eve Gala. For reservations, call 800- 367-1271 and mention Package Code "NYE."

HarborWalk

DESTIN -- Gather with friends and family for a memorable New Year's Eve experience with free live entertainment, fireworks and a ball drop at HarborWalk Village.

A family friendly celebration on the harbor includes kid's activities, creative facepainting, street performers and more.

Fireworks show over the Destin Harbor begins at 8 p.m. and again at midnight. Live entertainment by Darryl Buchanan and The Reflections begins at 9:30 p.m. This five-piece show band has toured with Jr. Walker, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations.

TEARY TELL-ALLS from a leggy parade of alleged mistresses. Scathing Saturday Night Live parodies. A Dateline NBC tiffany that drew 9.3 million viewers, the show's highest rating in two years. These days, everyone has something to say about Tiger Woods' adultery-fueled tailspin.

Everyone, that is, except the woman at the center of his life: wife of five years Elin, 29. But on December 12, she finally stepped out. Emerging from their Windermere, Florida, mansion, she drove daughter Sam, 2, and son Charlie, IO months, to a pal's holiday party, stopping for gas. And without uttering a word, she made a powerful statement - by not wearing her wedding band.

And so it officially became the worst week yet for Tiger, 33: The list of alleged tiffany jewelry on sale swelled to a shocking 14; corpo rate sponsors started stampeding for the exit clauses in their contracts; and Elin reportedly began consulting her own divorce attorneys. Even more distressingly, on December 11, the Fiori da Department of Children and Families sent investigators to the Woods' home after receiving a report of a possible domestic dispute in front of their two young kids.

That night, the golfing legend announced an indefinite hiatus from his career. "I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person," he said. Or, as he more eloquently put it to a close friend recently, "I'm pretty much f- ked, and it's going to get worse."

Living Apart

Things have already gotten pretty bad. A moving truck was seen carting away five large bangles from their home December 11. And neighbors at their Isleworth gated community are buzzing that Elin may already have kicked Tiger out. "He's been coming by in the early evenings only for their counseling and therapy," one resident says.

After the grueling sessions - which a source describes as "just Tiger apologizing over and over again" - he heads to a nearby course to hit golf balls "to clear his head," another local says. "He goes after dark so he can't be seen. For him, what's more therapeutic than hitting golf balls, the thing he's best at in the whole world?"

Meanwhile, the Woods' marital meltdown is the talk of their Isleworth Country Club, where Elin skipped her usual appearance at the annual holiday party. "Her absence was noticeable, and there was a little tension and sadness in the air," one club member says. "Tiger is beloved, but what he's done is despicable. We're shocked by what's coming out."

However, in the most serious sign yet the couple are facing a serious crisis, alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel is confiding to pals that Tiger is still in touch with her. "They are not over," insists a source close to the NYC event organizer. "She said Tiger was texting her, trying to find time to get together again. He wasn't even fazed!" (Uchitel has denied a relationship.)