Former Williams-Sonoma manager charged with fraud totaling more than $10 million

SAN FRANCISCO -- A former employee of San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma was charged on Wednesday with defrauding the company more than $10 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California.

A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted 48-year-old Ben Thomas III of Georgia with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.

Thomas is alleged to have registered a fake company called Empire Logistics Services (Empire) billing Williams Sonoma, Inc. millions of dollars for work that Empire never performed, according to the indictment.

The indictment says Thomas allegedly spent the money on a yacht, automobiles, sporting events tickets, pet cloning, a 12,000-square-foot home, and professional landscaping services for the home.

Thomas worked as a general manager at a Williams-Sonoma hub and distribution facility in Braselton, Georgia from 2016-2023.

From 2017-2023, he allegedly submitted hundreds of Empire invoices to Williams-Sonoma, each one under his $50,000 approval limit, and approving them.

During that time, Thomas made 335 payments totaling $10 million to a bank account he managed.

"The defendant is charged with enriching himself by cheating his employer, a publicly traded company. The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to rooting out fraud in this District and to ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust and authority are held accountable for their actions," said U.S. Attorney Ramsey, in the press release.

Thomas is scheduled to appear in San Francisco federal court on Oct. 1.