Georgia Man Steals $10 Million From Former Employer
A Georgia man stole from his employer and has now been indicted for wire fraud and money laundering. He allegedly stole more than $10 million from his former employer. Ben Thomas III worked for San Francisco-based Williams Sonoma as a general manager at the company’s hub and distribution center in Braselton, Georgia, from 2016 to 2023.
Georgia Man Stole From Employer
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, Thomas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in San Francisco with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering. He allegedly registered a fake company, Empire Logistics Services, which billed Williams Sonoma, Inc. for millions of dollars of work that was never done.
According to the indictment, Thomas is believed to have spent the money on a yacht, automobiles, sporting events tickets, pet cloning, a 12,000-square-foot home, and professional landscaping services.
“The defendant is charged with enriching himself by cheating his employer, a publicly traded company. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to rooting out fraud in this District and to ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust and authority are held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey.
In his role as general manager, Thomas had the authority to hire temporary staffing vendors and approve payments of up to $50,000 to vendors. Between 2017 and 2024, Thomas allegedly submitted invoices from the fake company to Williams Sonoma. Each invoice was under the $50,000 approval limit. In total, Thomas made 335 payments to a bank account he managed. The total payments were more than $10 million.
Ben Thomas III is scheduled to appear in San Francisco federal court on Tuesday, October 1. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, if convicted, Thomas faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 plus restitution for each count of wire fraud. Additionally, he could face 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, plus restitution for each count of money laundering.
