(KRON) -- Ben Thomas III, 48, is charged with stealing millions from his former employer in San Francisco and allegedly using the funds for his own self-interest, U.S. Department of Justice Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey announced on Wednesday. From 2016 to 2023, Thomas, a Georgia resident, worked for Williams Sonoma Inc. (WSI)-- a high-end furniture store with locations across the country. According to the indictment, Thomas allegedly stole more than $10 million from his WSI employers in San Francisco. According to the indictment, Thomas funneled millions to his personal account by creating a "fictitious temporary staffing company," which he named Empire Logistics Services (Empire). Prosecutors allege Thomas "billed WSI more than $10 million for work that Empire never performed." Between 2017 and 2023, Thomas fraudulently submitted hundreds of Empire invoices to WSI, each for less than Thomas’s $50,000 approval limit.  Thomas then approved WSI payment on the invoices, and Thomas caused WSI to make approximately 335 payments over six years totaling more than $10 million in a bank account Thomas controlled. U.S. Department of Justice, Northern District of California With the $10 million, the indictment alleges Thomas used the proceeds for the following: A yacht Multiple automobiles Tickets to "professional sporting events" Pet cloning A 12,000-square-foot home Professional landscaping services for the home “The defendant is charged with enriching himself by cheating his employer, a publicly traded company.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to rooting out fraud in this District and to ensuring that those who abuse positions of trust and authority are held accountable for their actions,” Ramsey said. 3_24cr511_indictmentDownload A San Francisco jury indicted Thomas on Thursday with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering for defrauding WSI. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance and face the alleged charges in federal court in San Francisco on October 1.