An American Jewish cemetery director has pleaded guilty to stealing $1 million from her institution.
Ilana Friedman, 51, had been pocketing money from bereaved families, causing losses to Staten Island’s Jewish cemetery of over $850,000 between 2005 and 2011.
The Brooklyn resident, who co-directed the United Hebrew Cemetery for 15 years with husband Arthur Friedman, pleaded guilty to grand larceny in Staten Island Criminal Court today.
Under a settlement, Mr and Mrs Friedman must pay $1 million in stolen funds to the cemetery and may never work in the funeral or cemetery industry.