Olivia Molly Roger’s ex-husband Justin McKeone has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior 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 Australia claim McKeone admitted to 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 he no longer had the stolen money and would ‘do his best’ to repay the business.
Justin McKeone, pictured with ex-wife Olivia Molly Roger, has been accused of stealing half a million dollars while working as a senior financial manager at a Melbourne firm
Rocket Brands acted swiftly, terminating McKeone’s employment and obtaining a freezing order from the Supreme Court to prevent him from disposing of assets.
The company is now seeking restitution for the allegedly stolen funds, along with damages and 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 allege the investigation uncovered a trail of unauthorised transactions between May 23 and October 6, totalling nearly half a million dollars.
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
The affidavit claims McKeone manipulated invoices for suppliers like ‘Storage King’ and ‘Net Focus IT,’ 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.
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 breaching his duties as a senior manager. The company has described his alleged actions in court documents as calculated and damaging, claiming the alleged theft has caused significant financial losses.
Victoria Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, with detectives looking into 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 to the theft when confronted by Rocket Brands director Matthew Holmes in mid-October
Rocket Brands secured a freezing order from the Victorian Supreme Court on October 22 to block McKeone from accessing his assets while the legal case proceeds.
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.
