(Sightseers’ Delight) — The former chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for stealing more than $600,000 from the museum by doctoring invoices and approving transactions for personal purchases.
U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown sentenced Brady Lum, 60, of Atlanta, Georgia, to one year in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release.
As part of his plea agreement, Lum paid full restitution of $607,688.18 to the High Museum. Lum also voluntarily paid approximately $500,000 to the High Museum to cover costs the museum incurred while uncovering and investigating his criminal activity.
Before today’s sentencing hearing, Lum paid full restitution to the museum and reimbursed its $500,000 of investigative expenses and legal fees.
According to prosecutors, Lum served as the High Museum of Art’s chief operating officer from January 2, 2019, until his resignation on December 9, 2025. Before joining the High Museum, Lum held leadership positions at the Coca-Cola Company and Special Olympics International.
During his tenure, Lum repeatedly purchased non-business items and services for himself, including expensive guitars and other music equipment, personal music lessons, and woodworking equipment, through direct supplier invoicing and the High Museum’s corporate credit card reimbursement process. Lum began siphoning money from the museum in September 2019, less than nine months after he started his COO job, and continued until the fraud was discovered in November 2025.
Lum concealed the nature of his transactions in several ways, including by submitting altered invoices, using his position to approve expenses, and using accounting adjustments to spread his expenses across different cost centers. Over the course of his scheme, Lum stole more than $600,000 from the High Museum, prosecutors said.
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