Former High Museum of Art COO Pleads Guilty in $600,00+ Embezzlement Case
3July 14, 2026
Brady Lum, the onetime chief operating officer ofAtlanta‘sHigh Museum of Art, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 13 to a charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Lum is charged with embezzling more than $600,000 from the institution.
“Over several years, Lum deceptively plundered the southeast’s premier museum of visual art, embezzling more than half a million dollars,” said US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in apress releaseissued by his office. “Criminals like Lum who steal from institutions that receive taxpayer money to serve the public will face prison time for their thievery and be compelled to repay their ill-gotten gains.”
The Justice Department said that the disgraced former executive bilked the museum out of the money by altering invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases. Lum had served as the High Museum’s COO from January 2019 to December 2025, when he resigned amid accusations of mishandling funds. The department noted that Lum had received more than seven hundred reimbursements from the museum, most of them under $1,000.
Among the purchases on which he spent the ill-gotten cash were instruments, music lessons, sound equipment, and woodworking equipment. In one notable instance, Lum submitted an invoice for more than $9,000 for equipment for the institution. The purchase turned out to be a guitar and accessories for himself.
Sentencing has been set for November 2. As part of his plea agreement, Lum has been ordered to pay back all of the money he stole.