Olivia Molly Rogers’ ex-husband Justin McKeone has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior finance manager at a Melbourne company.
Mr McKeone, 37, is alleged to have stolen $481,490.33 during his five-month tenure as head of finance at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd).
The Victorian Supreme Court has heard claims that McKeone disguised 114 unauthorized transactions as legitimate payments to suppliers, funneling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly fund a drug addiction.
Court documents obtained by Ny Breaking Australia claim McKeone admitted to the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October.
During the meeting, McKeone admitted to taking money from the company to support what he described as “a very serious drug addiction.”
He allegedly told Holmes he no longer had the stolen money and would “do his best” to pay the company back.
Justin McKeone, pictured with ex-wife Olivia Molly Roger, has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior finance manager at a Melbourne company
Rocket Brands acted quickly, terminating McKeone’s employment and obtaining a High Court freezing order to prevent him from disposing of assets.
The company is now demanding restitution for the allegedly stolen money, along with damages and costs.
McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March this year with an annual salary of $200,000. But just weeks into his probation, employees reportedly expressed concerns about his erratic behavior.
An affidavit Holmes filed with the court reveals complaints from employees who allege McKeone “slept in the work bathrooms for up to four hours a day,” took excessively long lunch breaks and often left the office without completing his duties.
Alarmed by the allegations, Holmes hired two outside accountants to audit the company’s financials.
Court documents allege that the investigation uncovered a trail of illicit transactions totaling nearly half a million dollars between May 23 and October 6.
They also allege that McKeone falsified data in the company’s Xero accounting system to disguise the payments as supplier invoices.
According to court documents, McKeone allegedly used his exclusive access to Rocket’s financial systems to authorize and process the payments.
The Victorian Supreme Court has heard claims that McKeone disguised 114 unauthorized transactions as legitimate payments to suppliers, funneling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly fund a drug addiction.
The affidavit alleges McKeone manipulated invoices for suppliers including ‘Storage King’ and ‘Net Focus IT’, diverting money into his own Westpac account.
Screenshots submitted to the court reportedly show McKeone editing and approving these allegedly fraudulent transactions in Xero. Holmes told the court he had not authorized any payments during the disputed period.
The alleged embezzlement was reportedly hidden in Rocket’s financial statements under the guise of “historical adjustments” totaling $310,878, further complicating the company’s efforts to identify the missing funds.
The alleged scandal took a legal twist on October 14 when Holmes reported the alleged theft to Victoria Police.
Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit interviewed McKeone on November 6, but no charges have been laid as the investigation continues.
Rocket Brands is demanding full restitution and has accused McKeone of breaching his duties as a senior manager. The company has described its alleged actions in court documents as calculated and damaging, claiming that the alleged theft caused significant financial losses.
Victoria Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing, with detectives investigating the alleged theft of $481,490 from Rocket’s accounts over the three-month period.
Court documents obtained by Ny Breaking Australia claim McKeone admitted to the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October
Rocket Brands was granted a freezing order by the Victorian Supreme Court on October 22 to ban McKeone from accessing his assets while the court case continues.
The lawsuit states that McKeone’s actions were allegedly a “gross breach of trust” and that the company is “unable to accept [his] statement that he has no more money in his accounts.
McKeone has not publicly responded to the allegations and his LinkedIn profile and Instagram account have since been deactivated.
Olivia Molly Rogers, who parted ways with McKeone last year, has not commented on the lawsuit.