A former chief financial officer at a Forsyth County law firm and local cub scout treasurer is accused of embezzling funds from both of his employers, totaling nearly $102,000.
Brian Thomas Hieber, 47, was arrested Wednesday and faces several felonies after deputies were able to tie the two cases together, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Doug Rainwater told AJC.com.
The investigation began Aug. 23 when a representative for Cub Scout Pack 254, which is based out of Bethelview United Methodist Church, reported that Hieber was refusing to provide prior bank statements, according to an incident report. Hieber had been the pack’s treasurer up until June.
Hieber refused to turn over the financial information after several requests, despite previous emails showing he admitted to using the pack’s bank account for personal purchases, the report said. Hieber claimed he offset those purchases with deposits from his personal bank account, but a representative for the Cub Scout Pack was not able to verify that those transfers took place, authorities said.
On Nov. 12, two representatives of Jarrard and Davis, LLP, met with deputies, according to another incident report. They claimed Hieber, who was hired as the firm’s CFO in March 2018, stole $101,918.51 from the company.
Hieber, who had an annual salary of $125,000, had sole access to the firm’s payroll and accounting software. He gave “himself unauthorized pay raises, did not pay medical insurance costs and provided himself with an unauthorized 6% SEP IRA match,” the report said.
The two representatives estimated that Hieber embezzled the six-figure sum based on unauthorized raises, retirement contributions, healthcare costs and extra payroll taxes, authorities said.
Investigators were able to connect the two incidents, which is when they seized Hieber’s bank accounts and secured warrants for his arrest, Rainwater said.
Hieber faces five counts each of theft by taking, theft by deception, computer crimes/invasion of privacy and violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Correction Organizations (RICO) Act. He remains in the county’s jail without bond.
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