Jewelry Manufacturing Supervisor Sentenced for Stealing $1.7M+ in Gold, Silver and Platinum From Employer

A manufacturing supervisor for a luxury jewelry company in Rhode Island has been sentenced for stealing over $1.7 million in gold, silver and platinum from his employer.

Benjamin Preacher, 54, of North Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 59 days in prison. That will be followed by two years of supervised release, including 10 months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service.

Preacher was also ordered to forfeit $1,267,093.

In June 2024, Preacher pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods and one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. The thefts occurred over a period of more than three years.

“Preacher used his position overseeing the production and security of high-end jewelry to steal scrap precious metals from the company’s facility in Rhode Island,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. “Preacher then drove the stolen metals into Massachusetts and then sold them to various businesses in Massachusetts.”