Former High Museum of Art COO sentenced to year in federal prison for embezzlement case

The former chief operating officer of Atlanta's High Museum of Art will serve a year in federal prison for stealing more than $600,000 from the museum through doctored invoices.

Brady Lum, 60, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. He had resigned last December after officials with the Woodruff Arts Center said an investigation led to the discovery of "financial irregularities" at the High.

Authorities say Lum, who served as COO at the museum from 2019 up to his resignation, used his control of the High's operational and financial activities to purchase "non-business items and services for himself," including guitars, other music equipment, music lessons, and woodworking equipment.

Lum was accused of using altered invoices and "accounting adjustments" to disguise his purchases. In one case from November 2024, prosecutors say that Lum submitted an invoice showing a $9,147.87 purchase of equipment that turned out to be for a guitar and accessories.

"Lum brazenly pilfered hundreds of thousands of dollars from a beloved civic institution to pay for his high-end guitars and other personal items. His appalling breach of trust damaged not only the High Museum but also the larger art community," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

Officials say Lum had paid full restitution of more than $607,000 to the High Museum as well as around $500,000 to cover the costs of the museum's investigation.

On Monday, he was sentenced to one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release.