# Museum Executive Sentenced for $607K Theft

> Former High Museum executive jailed for stealing $607,000 to buy guitars and music lessons.
- Title: Museum Executive Sentenced for $607K Theft · Dallas Express
- Summary: Former High Museum executive jailed for stealing $607,000 to buy guitars and music lessons. Brady Lum, former High Museum of Art chief operating officer…
- Keywords: brady lum, high museum of art, federal prison, restitution, theft, guitars, music lessons, altered invoices, improper reimbursements, doj, u.s. attorney, fbi
- Source: Dallas Express — https://dallasexpress.com/crime/museum-executive-gets-prison-for-607k-theft-texas-art-cases-revisited
- Author: Dallas Express
- Published: 2026-11-02T20:29:55+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: brady lum, high museum of art, federal prison, restitution, theft, guitars, music lessons, altered invoices, improper reimbursements, doj, u.s. attorney, fbi
## Museum Executive Jailed For $607K Theft
A former High Museum of Art executive was sentenced to one year in federal prison Monday after stealing more than $607,000 from the Atlanta institution to pay for guitars, music lessons, and other personal purchases.
## Years of Altered Invoices and Improper Reimbursements
Lum, 60, served as chief operating officer from January 2, 2019, until his resignation on December 9, 2025.
## Over 700 Reimbursements for Guitar Purchases
In one example, a November 29, 2024, submission presented $9,147.87 in guitar-related purchases as equipment for the museum. Lum obtained more than 700 reimbursements, most for less than $1,000.
## One Year Prison Sentence and Restitution
U.S.District Judge Michael L.Brown imposed one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release.Lum paid $607,688.18 in restitution before sentencing and approximately $500,000 more to reimburse the museum for legal expenses.
## U.S. Attorney's Statement on Theft
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said, 'Lum brazenly pilfered hundreds of thousands of dollars from a beloved civic institution to pay for his high-end guitars and other personal items.'

> Lum brazenly pilfered hundreds of thousands of dollars from a beloved civic institution to pay for his high-end guitars and other personal items
## Art Heists Resurface in Texas
Other notorious art crimes, including several with ties to Texas, have left investigators pursuing stolen treasures for decades.
## Key takeaway

Brady Lum, former High Museum of Art chief operating officer, received one year in prison for stealing $607,688.18 from the museum to pay for guitars and personal items.