United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy | U.S. Department of Justice
A former manufacturing supervisor at a luxury jewelry company has been sentenced for stealing over $1.7 million in precious metals from his employer. Benjamin Preacher, 54, from North Attleboro, received a sentence of 59 days in prison followed by two years of supervised release, which includes 10 months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service. He was also ordered to forfeit $1,267,093.
Preacher worked at a Rhode Island facility that produces high-end jewelry from gold, silver, and platinum. From 2018 to early 2024, he used his position to steal scrap precious metals and transport them to Massachusetts where he sold them to various businesses.
U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley handed down the sentence today. The government had recommended a longer prison term of 30 months. Preacher pleaded guilty in June 2024 to charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil prosecuted the case.
