Head of luxury jewelry company found guilty of stealing precious metals

crime

North Attleboro resident Benjamin Preacher was sentenced to 59 days in jail, followed by two years of supervised release, prosecutors said.

An employee of a luxury jewelry company was found guilty of stealing more than $1.7 million in precious metals, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Benjamin Preacher, of North Attleboro, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of “engaging in illicit financial transactions,” the office of U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced in a statement. .

Judge Angel Kelly sentenced Preacher, 54, to 59 days in prison followed by two years of supervised release, the judge said in a statement. Additionally, prosecutors said the preacher must complete 10 months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service. Levy’s office said he must also forfeit $1,267,093.

Levy’s office said Preacher worked as a manufacturing supervisor for a Rhode Island company that sold luxury goods and jewelry made of gold, silver and platinum. Preacher, 54, worked for the company from 2018 to 2024, according to the statement.

Levy’s office said he plans to take the stolen metal to Massachusetts and sell it.

“Mr. Preacher used his position overseeing the manufacturing and safety of fine jewelry to steal scrap precious metals from the company’s facilities in Rhode Island,” Levy’s office said.

A representative for Preacher said in a statement to Boston.com that the sentencing was a “full, fair and individualized evaluation.”

“Indeed, this sentence includes punitive elements, including incarceration, home confinement, supervised release, community service, and significant financial obligations,” Preacher’s representatives said. “Mr. Preacher takes full responsibility for his actions and looks forward to continuing to support his family.”

Eva Levin is a general associate at Boston.com. She covers breaking news and local news from Boston and beyond.