Olivia Molly Rogers’ ex-husband Justin McKeone has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a financial manager at a Melbourne firm.
Mr McKeone, 37, is alleged to have stolen $481,490.33 during his five-month tenure as Head of Finance at Rocket Brands (Cozmic Sales Pty Ltd).
The Victorian Supreme Court has heard claims that McKeone disguised 114 unauthorised transactions as legitimate supplier payments, funnelling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly fund a drug addiction.
Court documents obtained by Daily Mail claim McKeone admitted to the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October.
During the meeting, McKeone allegedly confessed he embezzled the money to fund ‘a very serious drug habit.’
He allegedly told Holmes he would ‘do his best’ to repay the business.
Justin McKeone, pictured with ex-wife Olivia Molly Rogers, has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior financial manager at a Melbourne firm
Rocket Brands swiftly terminated McKeone’s employment and obtained an order from the Supreme Court freezing his assets to prevent him from disposing of them and instead use funds from their sale to repay the business.
The company is now seeking restitution for the allegedly stolen funds, along with damages and legal costs.
McKeone joined Rocket Brands in March this year on a $200,000 annual salary. But just weeks into his probationary period, staff reportedly raised concerns about his erratic behaviour.
An affidavit submitted to the court by Holmes reveals complaints from employees alleging that McKeone was ‘sleeping in the work toilets for up to four hours a day,’ taking excessively long lunch breaks, and frequently leaving the office without completing his duties.
Alarmed by the allegations, Holmes engaged two external accountants to review the company’s financial records.
Court documents show the investigation uncovered the trail of unauthorised transactions between May 23 and October 6.
They also allege McKeone falsified records in the company’s Xero accounting system to disguise the payments as supplier invoices.
According to court filings, McKeone allegedly used his exclusive access to Rocket’s financial systems to approve and process the payments.
The Victorian Supreme Court has heard claims that McKeone disguised 114 unauthorised transactions as legitimate supplier payments, funnelling company money into his personal bank account to allegedly fund a drug addiction
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The affidavit claims McKeone manipulated invoices to reflects payments to suppliers like ‘Storage King’ and ‘Net Focus IT’ while redirecting funds into his own Westpac account.
Screenshots submitted to the court allegedly show McKeone editing and approving these allegedly fraudulent transactions in Xero. Holmes told the court he had not authorised 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’ totalling $310,878, further complicating the company’s efforts to identify the missing funds.
Holmes reported the alleged theft to Victoria Police on October 14.
Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit interviewed McKeone on November 6, but no charges have been laid as the investigation continues.
In the civil law case, Rocket Brands is seeking full restitution and has accused McKeone of breaching his duties as a senior manager.
Court documents obtained by Daily Mail claim McKeone admitted to the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October
The company has described his alleged actions in court documents as calculated and damaging, claiming the alleged theft has caused significant financial losses.
The court filing states McKeone’s actions were allegedly a ‘gross 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 responded publicly to the allegations, and his LinkedIn profile has been and Instagram account has since been deactivated.
Olivia Molly Rogers, who split from McKeone last year, has not commented on the legal case.