Former Williams-Sonoma employee accused of defrauding company out of $10 million

An employee of Williams-Sonoma is facing multiple federal charges after he allegedly defrauded the San Francisco-based home furnishings company out of more than $10 million, authorities said.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of California, 48-year-old Ben Thomas III of Georgia was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering following an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. Thomas was the general manager of the company’s hub and distribution facility in Braselton, about 45 miles northeast of Atlanta.

“The defendant is charged with enriching himself by cheating his employer, a publicly traded company,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “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.”

Prosecutors said Thomas had the authority to hire temporary staffing vendors and approve payments up to $50,000 to vendors in his role with the company. The indictment alleges that Thomas created a fictitious temporary staffing company called Empire Logistics Services, which he used to defraud his employer.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/williams-sonoma-former-employee-accused-10m-fraud