Former Williams-Sonoma employee allegedly defrauded company of $10 million

A Williams-Sonoma employee is facing multiple charges in federal court after allegedly defrauding the San Francisco-based furniture maker of more than $10 million, authorities said.

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

“The defendant is accused of enriching himself by defrauding 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 ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust and power are held accountable for their actions.”

Prosecutors said that in his role at the company, Thomas had the authority to hire temporary employment agencies and authorize payments to them of up to $50,000. The indictment says that Thomas created a fictitious temporary employment agency called Empire Logistics Services, which he used to defraud his employer.

Between 2017 and 2023, Thomas submitted hundreds of invoices from Empire to Williams-Sonoma for work that was never performed. In total, prosecutors allege that Thomas collected 335 payments totaling more than $10 million.

Thomas spent the proceeds on, among other things, a 1,100-square-meter house, a yacht, cars and the cloning of pets, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Thomas is scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court in San Francisco on Oct. 1. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation of the Wire Fraud Act and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each violation of the Money Laundering Act.