Rhode Island
Jewelry Manufacturing Supervisor Charged With Money Laundering in Rhode Island
![Jewelry Manufacturing Supervisor Charged With Money Laundering in Rhode Island Jewelry Manufacturing Supervisor Charged With Money Laundering in Rhode Island](https://instoremag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/court-legal-thumbnail-1000x600.jpg)
BOSTON – A manufacturing supervisor for a luxury jewelry company has been arrested and charged with money laundering in connection with alleged theft of gold, silver and platinum in Rhode Island.
Benjamin Preacher, 54, of North Attleboro, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. Preacher was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on March 15.
Preacher is accused of using his position to steal precious metals from the company’s facility in Rhode Island and then sell the metals to businesses in Massachusetts. The name of the company was not released.
The thefts allegedly occurred over a period of more than three years.
More from the release:
According to the charging documents, since 2018, Preacher worked fulltime in a supervisory position at a Rhode Island manufacturing facility operated by the company, which manufactures and sells luxury items, including jewelry made from gold, silver and platinum. It is alleged that Preacher used his position to steal precious metals from the company’s facility in Rhode Island and then sell the metals to various businesses in Massachusetts.
Specifically, from in or about March 2020 to March 2023, Preacher allegedly sold precious metals to a Canton-based metals dealer roughly one to two times per month – with sales to that dealer alone totaling more than $1 million. It is alleged that Preacher’s sales of stolen metals included $50,521 in 18-carat gold in March 2020; $21,821 in 18-carat gold, “Platinum scrap” and “Sterling” in April 2021; and $30,939 in platinum in January 2022.
It is further alleged that Preacher also sold more than $177,000 in stolen precious metals to a separate metals dealer in West Bridgewater between on or about May 16, 2023 and Nov. 16, 2023. This included gold sheets used by Preacher’s employer in a particular machine, which Preacher allegedly stole and sold, along with other gold scrap, for nearly $21,000.
Most recently, it is alleged that, approximately 30 minutes into his shift on March 1, 2024, Preacher was captured on company security cameras stealing a piece of white gold “flat stock,” measuring approximately an inch in diameter and approximately as thick as a quarter, valued at roughly $2,200.
Precious metal in scrap form were located and seized during a search of Preacher’s home on March 14, 2024.
The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the laundered funds. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Advertisement
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Rhode Island
EG's RIM Best of Rhode Island Winners
![EG's RIM Best of Rhode Island Winners EG's RIM Best of Rhode Island Winners](https://eastgreenwichnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/The-EG-News-team-e1722027431778.jpeg)
Rhode Island
How to watch/stream: Rhode Island at the Little League Softball regional championship
![How to watch/stream: Rhode Island at the Little League Softball regional championship How to watch/stream: Rhode Island at the Little League Softball regional championship](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/07/25/NPRJ/74545332007-dsc-01738-gigapixelstandardscale-2-00-x.jpeg?auto=webp&crop=9278,5220,x0,y722&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Cranston Western Little League Softball is on the doorstep of reaching the national tournament.
The Rhode Island state champions reached the New England regional finals with a 6-5 comeback win vs. Massachusetts on Wednesday. And now the Ocean State team plays in the winner-take-all championship in Bristol, Connecticut at noon.
If you can’t make the drive to see Rhode Island’s best, you can still watch from afar.
Stream links and television information for the championship vs. Connecticut is below.
How they got there: RI is off to the Little League Softball regional title game
How to watch the New England Little League Softball championship
Date: Friday, July 26
Time: Noon
Location: A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol, Connecticut
Stream: ESPN
Previous matchup: Rhode Island topped Connecticut, 13-3, in the opening game of the New England tournament. The Ocean State tacked on eight runs in the bottom of the fourth that broke open a 5-3 game. RI piled up eight hits and 11 RBIs in the big win.
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
Rhode Island
NOAA, Biden-Harris Administration announce nearly $2 million for Rhode Island project as part of Investing in America Agenda
![NOAA, Biden-Harris Administration announce nearly million for Rhode Island project as part of Investing in America Agenda NOAA, Biden-Harris Administration announce nearly million for Rhode Island project as part of Investing in America Agenda](https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_width_1275/public/2023-03/PHOTO-Climate-Collage-HEXAGON-Design-BIL-With-NEW-Logo-2022_0.jpg)
Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended nearly $2 million for a project in Rhode Island to make the state’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $2 million to help underserved communities in Rhode Island develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from increased flooding, storm surge, and extreme weather events.”
Administered by the Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and providing employment opportunities.
“This historic funding is vital for helping Rhode Island communities confront the unique coastal challenges posed by a changing climate,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The recommended project will empower Rhode Islanders to better prepare for climate change, fostering a more resilient, equitable future for these coastal communities.”
The recommended project in Rhode Island includes $1,999,777 for work with the Aquidneck Land Trust in partnership with the municipalities of Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth and Naval Station Newport. The project, Growing Regional Resilience Coordination on Aquidneck Island, capitalizes on the momentum of resilience initiatives already underway on the island. Committed to conserving the island’s open spaces and building on prior successful projects (including the conservation of over 2,800 acres), the land trust will use this opportunity to grow their island-wide approach to resilience, offering technical assistance, capacity building, and actionable strategies for responding to climate change. Implemented projects will include nature-based solutions to address threats from flooding, increasing storms, extreme temperatures, drought, sea level rise and water pollution.
“Coastal communities are on the front lines of climate change and face unique climate challenges – from flooding to water pollution to sea level rise. This federal funding will help the Aquidneck Land Trust and its partners work collaboratively to strengthen their collective resiliency to the impacts of climate change. I applaud their cooperative approach to mitigating the impacts of climate change for future generations and look forward to seeing the results of their work in these Rhode Island communities,” said Senator Jack Reed.
“Thanks to our Inflation Reduction Act, we’re accelerating climate resiliency across the Ocean State,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who helped shape major climate provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act. “This federal funding will provide a big boost to resiliency and conservation projects on Aquidneck Island and help strengthen our defenses against climate change.”
“As the Ocean State, coastal management is essential to protecting our communities and our way of life from the existential threat of climate change,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01). “That is why I am proud to have joined my colleagues in supporting the Aquidneck Land Trust in their quest to receive more than $2 million in federal funding. This federal investment will help expand their island-wide approach to resilience and leverage nature-based solutions to fight the climate crisis.”
Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.
-
World1 week ago
One dead after car crashes into restaurant in Paris
-
Midwest1 week ago
Michigan rep posts video response to Stephen Colbert's joke about his RNC speech: 'Touché'
-
News1 week ago
Video: Young Republicans on Why Their Party Isn’t Reaching Gen Z (And What They Can Do About It)
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: A new generation drives into the storm in rousing ‘Twisters’
-
News1 week ago
In Milwaukee, Black Voters Struggle to Find a Home With Either Party
-
Politics1 week ago
Fox News Politics: The Call is Coming from Inside the House
-
News1 week ago
Video: J.D. Vance Accepts Vice-Presidential Nomination
-
World1 week ago
Trump to take RNC stage for first speech since assassination attempt