A former Tiffany exec was busted by the feds this morning in the theft of more than $1 million worth of bling from the famed jewelry company.
Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun, who oversaw product development for the blue box bauble business, allegedly resold the valuable trinkets to an unidentified Midtown jewelry company and concocted a series of stories to account for the loss.
The loot included more than 165 pieces, including “numerous diamond bracelets, platinum or gold diamond drop and hoop earrings, platinum diamond rings, and platinum and diamond pendants,” according to the feds.
Lederhaas-Okun, 46, was nabbed by the FBI this morning at her home in ritzy Darien, Conn., and charged with wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property.
The charges carry a maximum punishment of 30 years in the slammer.
“As alleged, Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun went from a vice president at a high-end jewelry company to jewel thief,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said.
“Her arrest shows that no matter how privileged their position in a company, employees who steal will face the full consequences of the law.”
According to a profile posted on linkedin.com, Lederhaas-Okun started working at Tiffany as an assistant buyer in 1991 and rose through the ranks over the following years.
She was canned in February “as part of an overall downsizing at the jewelry company,” according to court papers.
A Tiffany spokeswoman said: “In deference to the US Attorney’s investigation, we are not in a position to comment at this time.”
Lederhaas-Okun is due in court later today.