ATLANTA — The former COO of the High Museum was arraigned in federal court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to allegations that he used his position at the High “to steal more than $600,000 from the museum by doctoring invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases.”
Channel 2 Action News was in court Tuesday morning as the government laid out its case, saying Brady Lum “repeatedly purchased non-business items and services for himself, including luxury guitars and other music equipment, personal music lessons, and woodworking equipment, through direct supplier invoicing and through the High Museum’s corporate credit card reimbursement process.”
Lum resigned in February after an investigation into “financial irregularities.”
The Woodruff Arts Center’s Governing Board launched an investigation into Lum’s activity in December and also hired an outside law firm to review it.
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“It became clear during the investigation that approximately $600,000 was stolen, and we believe Lum abused his executive-level position at the High to access the money and hide what he’d done for several years,” an email to the board said at the time.
The board told the law firm to refer the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine possible criminal prosecution.
“While entrusted to run the High Museum, Lum allegedly used the museum’s money as his personal slush fund and thereby betrayed one of Atlanta’s civic crown jewels,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a news release on Tuesday. “Our office will move with swift precision to prosecute individuals who abuse positions of power and trust to enrich themselves at the expense of non-profit institutions.”
Lum served as the High Museum’s chief operating officer from January 2019 until his resignation in December.
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