Former High Museum COO Sentenced To One Year For Stealing $600,000

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Brady Lum, the former chief operating officer of Atlanta's High Museum of Art, has received a one-year federal prison sentence for embezzling more than $600,000 from the institution. Lum previously pleaded guilty to the charges in July.

Prior to his sentencing, Lum made full restitution to the museum and also reimbursed $500,000 toward its legal and investigative expenses. U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown also sentenced Lum to one year of supervised release following his prison term. His plea deal included paying $607,688.18 in restitution to the High Museum.

Lum joined the High Museum in January 2019 and resigned in December 2025. He began diverting funds in September 2019 and continued until the fraud was uncovered in November 2025. He used manipulated invoices and his approval authority for personal purchases, spreading expenses across various cost centers through accounting adjustments. The embezzled funds were used to acquire high-end guitars, music lessons, and woodworking equipment. The Justice Department found that Lum processed more than 700 reimbursements from the museum, with most individual transactions under $1,000.

Source: Artforum

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