Daytona Beach, FL – A DeLand man is out on $50,000 bond after detectives say he stole nearly $300,000 in metal parts from his former employer.
42-year-old James Keeley faces a felony grand theft charge following his arrest and booking at Volusia County Jail on Thursday.
The Daytona Beach Police Department says Keeley – a 20-year employee at S & B Metal Products on Holsonback Drive – used his position as General Manager to have other employees make metal parts using S & B’s equipment, materials and supplies.
According to the arrest report, some of the parts Keeley had constructed were done on behalf of other companies and the others – including a fence, 2 gun cases, a stainless steel grill and a stainless steel clam steamer – were for his personal use.
Detectives think Keeley used company employees while they were on the clock for S & B for designs and administrative tasks that were for his personal benefit.
Keeley also racked up over $23,000 in personal charges used 2 company credit cards, according to the arrest report.
The owners of S & B told police they discovered what Keeley was doing after allegations were made following his resignation in November 2014.
DBPD believes Keeley had been doing this kind of activity from at least March 2012 until he resigned and that he bilked S & B out of at least $287,189.59 in actual metal uses.
Investigators think Keeley use a program stored on a flash drive as part of a scheme to trick S & B’s computer system into thinking the work was being done for actual customers.
VCJ records show Keeley was arrested in October 2009 for cocaine possession, marijuana possession with intent to sell and using a 2-way communications device to commit a felony.
James Keeley (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
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