Olivia Molly Roger’s ex-husband Justin McKeone has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior finance director at a Melbourne company.
McKeone, 37, is alleged to have stolen $481,490.33 during his five months as finance director at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd).
The Victorian Supreme Court heard allegations 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 Daily Mail Australia claim McKeone admitted the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October.
During the meeting, McKeone allegedly confessed to taking company funds to support what he described as “a very serious drug habit.”
He allegedly told Holmes that he no longer had the stolen money and would “do everything he could” to return the business.
Justin McKeone, pictured with his ex-wife Olivia Molly Roger, has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior finance director at a Melbourne company.
Rocket Brands acted quickly, terminating McKeone’s employment and obtaining a freezing order from the Supreme Court to prevent him from disposing of its assets.
The company is now seeking restitution of the allegedly stolen funds, along with damages and costs.
McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March of this year with an annual salary of $200,000. But just weeks into his probation, staff reportedly raised concerns about his erratic behavior.
An affidavit filed in court by Holmes reveals complaints from employees who allege that McKeone “slept in the work bathrooms for up to four hours a day,” took excessively long lunch breaks and frequently left the office without completing his tasks.
Alarmed by the allegations, Holmes hired two outside accountants to review the company’s financial records.
Court documents allege the investigation uncovered a trail of unauthorized transactions between May 23 and Oct. 6, totaling nearly half a million dollars.
They also allege that McKeone falsified records in the company’s Xero accounting system to disguise payments as supplier invoices.
According to court documents, McKeone allegedly used his exclusive access to Rocket’s financial systems to approve and process payments.
The Victorian Supreme Court heard allegations 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 claims McKeone manipulated invoices from suppliers including ‘Storage King’ and ‘Net Focus IT’, redirecting funds to his own Westpac account.
Screenshots submitted to the court allegedly show McKeone editing and approving these allegedly fraudulent transactions on Xero. Holmes told the court he had not authorized any of the 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 turn 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 seeking full restitution and has accused McKeone of failing to fulfill his duties as a senior manager. The company has described its alleged actions in court documents as calculated and harmful, alleging that the alleged theft has 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 Daily Mail Australia claim McKeone admitted the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October.
Rocket Brands obtained a freezing order from the Victorian Supreme Court on October 22 to prevent McKeone from accessing its assets while the legal case proceeds.
The court filing states that McKeone’s actions were allegedly a “serious breach of trust” and that the company is “not in a position to accept (his) representation” that he has no money left 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 split from McKeone last year, has not commented on the legal case.