Newark, NJ – A schoolteacher from the Jewish Institute in Queens, N.Y., was sentenced to over a year in federal prison and ordered to make restitution for his part in a scheme that defrauded several major retail stores out of thousands of dollars.
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Adam Stefanile, 32, from Broklyn, NY is to report to prison to begin serving his 15-month term by U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark. The judge opted not to impose a fine but instructed Stefanile to start paying back the $201,000 he raked in during his scheme.
Bed, Bath & Beyond is to get $114,000; Pier 1, $67,000; Michael's Stores, $10,000, and F.Y.E., $10,000.
Shops in NJ, NY and seven other states were bilked by Stefanile and another man who stole merchandise and then obtained refunds for the items using counterfeit receipts.
"He made a foolish mistake," defense lawyer John Murphy Jr. said of his client. "His motivation was purely monetary."
Stefanile, lost his job at the Jewish Institute in Queens, N.Y., after pleading guilty to a count of wire fraud in the case. [nj.com]