Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun was arrested and appeared in federal court in Manhattan to face charges of wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property. As vice president of product development, Lederhaas-Okun had the authority to "check out" jewelry from Tiffany to provide to potential manufacturers to determine production costs.
Authorities allege that after she left Tiffany in February, the company discovered she had checked out 164 items that were never returned. An investigation found that Lederhaas-Okun resold the goods to an unidentified international dealer for more than $1.3 Million. Bank records showed that since January 2011, the dealer wrote 75 checks to her and her husband for amounts of up to $47,400.
Investigators also recovered purchase forms signed by Lederhaas-Okun that said the items were her personal property. Authorities alleged Lederhaas-Okun purposely checked out the items valued at under $10,000 apiece to avoid detection. The company takes daily inventory of all checked-out items worth more than $25,000. If convicted, Lederhaas-Okun faces up to 20 years in prison.
If you, or someone you know has been charged with theft, wire fraud, transportation of stolen property or any other federal crime, consult with Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Robert M. Bernstein for a free consultation today. Don't hesitate to contact our law firm in regards to your case.