A Georgia man has been accused of defrauding his former employer Williams Sonoma of more than $10 million.
According to the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ben Thomas III was indicted Sept. 18 with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said in a statement.
From 2016 to 2023, Thomas was the general manager of a Williams Sonoma distribution facility in Braselton, Georgia, the statement reported. He had “the authority to hire temporary staffing vendors and approve payments up to $50,000 to vendors,” according to the statement. He was neither allowed to self-deal nor allowed to bill the San Francisco-based company for work from another company that he’s affiliated with….