A New York-based Australian playboy
is accused of embezzling over $7 million from his own mining company to
fund ‘a high-class lifestyle for himself and his girlfriends,’ including
private jets, a luxury yacht and a $171,000 Tiffany engagement ring for
his Brazilian fiancée, a new lawsuit claims.
Aaron
Thomas, 26, was sacked as CEO of London-based Oakmont Trading Ltd
earlier this year after the board accused him of squandering millions of
company money to fund his extravagant lifestyle, according to a lawsuit
filed by the company in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday.
Thomas
founded the company, which owns and operates a Brazilian iron ore mine,
in 2010 and then proceeded to sell 74 percent of the company’s stock to
investors, the suit states.
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Aaron Thomas is accused of embezzling over $7
million from London-based Oakmont Trading Ltd to fund 'a high-class
lifestyle for himself and his girlfriends,' including private jets, a
luxury yacht and $120,000-worth of designer watches
But Thomas’ playboy
lifestyle, including paying $14,500 a month for a Manhattan apartment
where he lived with his fiancée Thaiana Rodrigues, got the better of him
and the company has launched legal action in both the UK and the US to
recover an estimated $7m of company money.
‘While
Thomas has made some disclosures as to the whereabouts of the
misappropriated funds, a sum of around [$2.5 million] remains
unaccounted for,’ the suit states.
The lawsuit features numerous examples of Thomas’ decadent spending, reports the New York Post. He is alleged to have spent $91,000 of company funds on a trip to Las Vegas in May 2013.
Another
$121,500 was apparently spent on designer watches by Rolex, and Hubot,
and he even paid for ‘many other flights taken by Thomas’s girlfriends,
including Rodrigues, in 2012 and 2013,’ the suit states.
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Thomas is alleged to have spent $91,000 of company funds on a trip to Las Vegas in May 2013
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During a Caribbean vacation in Turks &
Caicos, Thomas allegedly chartered a luxury yacht and private jet at a
cost of over $30,000, while his Brazilian fiancee's Tiffany engagement
ring cost $171,000
‘During a Caribbean vacation
in Turks & Caicos for himself, Rodrigues, and members of Rodrigues’
family, Thomas chartered a luxury yacht and private jet for his travel
companions at a cost of over $30,000, both of which were paid for with
Oakmont funds,’ the suit states.
Thomas maintains that the lawsuit is an attempt by the board to get his remaining shares. He told the New York Post that he plans to file a countersuit but declined to comment further.
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