Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun, who once held a vice president position at Tiffany, allegedly admitted to the theft of more than 165 pieces of jewellery including diamond bracelets, earrings, rings and pendants between November 2012 and February 2013.
The items had a total retail value of more than US$1.2 million (AU$1.3 m) and she was sentenced to one year and one day for her crime.
According to reports, the 46-year-old’s position within the company gave her the authority to “check out” jewellery for work-related reasons. She then allegedly sold the pieces to a leading international jewellery buyer and reseller located in Manhattan.
In total, Lederhaas-Okun is said to have admitted to stealing more than US$2 million (AU$2.2 million) in this fashion.
A request for a six month jail sentence, was reportedly rejected, owing to “the magnitude of the crime”.
According to reports, US district judge Paul Gardephe said Lederhaas-Okun deserved more than six months because of the number of thefts and her attempts to resell the jewellery.
“This was not a crime of impulse,” he said. “The defendant made many bad decisions over many years.”
The robbery only came to light after Lederhaas-Okun was terminated from her position at Tiffany in February 2013 as part of a company “downsizing” operation. The stolen jewellery pieces were reportedly discovered missing the day after her termination and she was consequently arrested in July.
Lederhass-Okun has also been ordered to pay more than US$2.1 million (AU$2.3 m) to the government and US$2.24 million (AU$2.49 m) in restitution.
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