Woodruff Arts Center Executive Pleads Guilty to Stealing More than $1.1 Million

Ralph Clark pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling more than $1.1 million from the Woodruff Arts Center while serving as its facilities director, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Clark, 42, of Ellenwood, Ga., could go to prison for up to 10 years and receive a fine of up to $250,000 when U.S. District Judge Julie E. Carnes sentences him Aug 7.

“The Woodruff Arts Center is an important part of the fabric of our community,” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement. “This defendant embezzled over $1 million from funds intended for the benefit of our citizens.”

According to Yates, the charges and other information presented in court:

In June 2006, Clark was promoted to Director of Facilities at the Woodruff Arts Center. He had been acting in this capacity for several months before he was promoted. His duties included ensuring that the Arts Center was properly maintained.  As Director of Facilities, he was authorized to approve vendor contracts up to $50,000. While carrying out these duties between November 2005 and October 2012, Clark embezzled more than $1.1 million from the Woodruff Arts Center.

Clark embezzled the money by submitting invoices for bogus expenses to Woodruff Arts Center’s accounts payable department. The bogus invoices included invoices from his wife’s business – Lowe’s Services – which was an apartment cleaning business set up by his wife in 2003.

The bogus Lowe’s Services invoices were for goods and services that were never provided to the Woodruff Arts Center, or were performed by Clark himself.  After the accounts payable department received the invoice, they generated checks from their checking account at SunTrust Bank. Clark would then pick the checks up in person, and deposit them into accounts on which he had signatory authority.

Clark also defrauded the Woodruff Arts Center by requiring another vendor who provided maintenance services to pay him kickbacks based on inflated invoices.  Clark told the vendor that in order for him to get future work he would have to inflate invoices Clark ultimately submitted to Woodruff Arts Center by 30 percent and then give that 30 percent back to Clark.

“Mr. Clark chose to violate his position of trust at the Woodruff Arts Center,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark F. Giuliano said in a statement.

“In addition, he violated federal law by attempting to profit through arrangements with various contracted vendors.  The FBI will continue to provide assistance and investigative resources in such matters that negatively impact our non-profit, cultural institutions such as the Woodruff Arts Center.”