Ex-Museum Officer Gets One Year for $607K Theft

Brady Lum, former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art, was sentenced in federal court after diverting more than $607,000 in museum funds.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Financial Crime

Ex-Museum Officer Gets One Year for $607K Theft

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A federal judge sentenced former High Museum of Art chief operating officer Brady Lum to one year in prison. Lum paid $607,688.18 in restitution before sentencing and about $500,000 to reimburse the museum for investigative and legal expenses.

Why it matters

Lum used altered receipts, expense-approval authority, and accounting adjustments to conceal purchases over more than 700 reimbursements, most under $1,000. The case shows how internal financial controls at a major Atlanta cultural institution can be circumvented over time.

Lum has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after paying $607,688.18 in restitution and about $500,000 in investigative and legal reimbursements to the museum. The source does not indicate any remaining pending proceedings in the case.

The players

High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art is the Atlanta-based art museum that was defrauded by its former chief operating officer.

Brady Lum

Brady Lum is the former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art who was sentenced for diverting more than $607,000 in museum funds.

The details

Lum served as chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art from January 2, 2019, until December 9, 2025, and began diverting museum money in September 2019. He concealed the purchases using altered invoices, improper reimbursements, and accounting adjustments, and one November 29, 2024, submission presented $9,147.87 in guitar-related purchases as museum equipment.

January 2, 2019: Lum began serving as chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art.
September 2019: Lum began diverting museum money.
December 9, 2025: Lum resigned as chief operating officer.
November 2, 2026: Lum was sentenced to one year in federal prison.

Financial Crime Context

Unlike the physical theft of artwork seen in the Boston Gardner heist, which carried an estimated $500 million value, Lum's case involved internal embezzlement carried out over years through small, repeated reimbursements. The contrast highlights how institutional fraud can accumulate quietly within cultural organizations.

For Atlanta residents and museum patrons, the case underscores that nonprofit cultural institutions rely on internal controls and donor-funded budgets that can be exposed to misuse. Visitors and members who fund the High Museum of Art have a stake in how its finances are overseen.

The takeaway

Strong financial controls over expense approvals and reimbursements are essential for nonprofit institutions, since repeated small transactions can conceal large losses. Organizations should regularly audit reimbursement patterns to catch misuse early.