Former High Museum Executive Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
According to court filings, Brady Lum stole more than $600,000 from the Atlanta institution during his nearly seven-year tenure.
The High Museum of Art's former Chief Operating Officer Brady Lum has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $600,000 from the nonprofit arts institution.
The 59-year-old executive resigned from the Atlanta museum in December after its parent organization, the Woodruff Arts Center, traced institutional “financial irregularities” back to him.
According to court documents filed by federal prosecutors in April, Lum used museum funds to purchase personal items, including “luxury guitars” and “woodworking equipment,” over the course of his nearly seven-year tenure at the institution.
Lum used his position of power to approve fraudulent reimbursement invoices and took other actions to conceal his personal transactions, according to filings.
Prosecutors said Lum secured more than 700 reimbursements from the museum, mostly for purchases under $1,000. Among his most expensive transactions, Lum allegedly claimed a reimbursement for a $9,147.87 purchase of personal guitar accessories by submitting a doctored invoice in 2024.
In a Georgia federal district court on Monday, July 13, Lum pleaded guilty to theft from “programs receiving federal funds,” a crime that carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000.
During Lum’s tenure, the museum received an $80,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the study of "the social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual effects of art museum visitation on diverse adult populations."
As part of Lum’s plea agreement with the federal government, the former COO has agreed to pay full restitution to “all victims of the offense(s).” His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 2.
The Woodruff Arts Center declined to comment on Lum’s case or how the stolen funds impacted the institution. Lum’s attorney has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s request for comment.
