Atlanta residents suspected of criminal activity should take the allegations seriously and work towards clearing their name as soon as possible before they feel the effects in the rest of their life. Often, the accusations are the result of misunderstandings and can be cleared up easily.
After conducting an internal investigation into some missing money, the Woodruff Arts Center suspects that a former employee is responsible for embezzling more than $1 million from Atlanta's largest cultural organization. Even though they have announced in recent reports that they suspect embezzlement, the name of the person they suspect has not been released.
Though many Atlanta residents may not take them seriously, people accused of financial fraud or of misappropriating funds are tainted by these allegations for the rest of their life. Their personal and professional lives suffer as a result of them, and in this case, the accusations are not even coming from the relevant authorities but result from an internal investigation conducted by the organization itself.
According to the organization, they did not learn of the suspected embezzlement until the suspected employee left the organization in October this year. He had been employed in a non-financial position there since 2004 and left for unrelated reasons. After he left the organization, some suspicious invoices were brought to light for services that were not rendered. The center has alerted the US Attorney's Office, but the suspected person has not been charged yet.
When the allegations lead to something serious, such as the accusations of a financial crime, the accused should understand their legal options. Obtaining guidance could help Atlanta defendants fight the accusations or guide them as to how to exercise their legal rights through a defense strategy.
Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Suspected employee fraud leads to $1.438 million Woodruff Arts Center loss," Nov. 27, 2014