Ex-Tiffany exec pleads guilty to stealing jewelry

Ex-Tiffany exec pleads guilty to stealing jewelry

NEW YORK (AP) — A former Tiffany & Company executive has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $2 million worth of merchandise from the famous Fifth Avenue jeweler.

Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun entered the plea today in federal court in Manhattan.

Authorities had accused the Darien, Conn. resident of checking out 164 items from the store for business purposes and never returning them. She claimed some of the missing jewelry had been lost or stolen.

The items included diamond rings and bracelets. Officials said she sold them to an international jewelry dealer.