ATLANTA — Former Atlanta CFO Jim Beard has been sentenced to three years behind bars for allegedly embezzling money and falsifying tax records.

“Jim Beard abused the trust and confidence placed in him by the people of the City of Atlanta when he decided to steal tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayers to support his lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a press release.

Beard served as chief financial officer during former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed’s administration from 2011 to 2018. He is one of the highest-ranking officials caught up in the city hall corruption probe.

“Beard repeatedly abused his position, broke the law he was sworn to uphold and betrayed the trust of the people of Atlanta,” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones said in a press release. “This case demonstrates the partnerships of law enforcement to enforce the law and hold individuals accountable, regardless of their position or status.”

Beard pleaded guilty to federal tax program theft and tax obstruction in April. Beard previously admitted to the judge of misusing taxpayer money and using unauthorized tax deductions.

According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, “during his tenure, Beard devised and executed a scheme to obtain money and property from the City for private use, including using City funds to: (1) pay for personal luxury travel expenses for himself, his family, and his travel companions; (2) buy items for personal use, including two machine guns; (3) pay for travel to conferences or meetings for which the conference or meeting host reimbursed Beard, with Beard pocketing the reimbursements instead of giving them to the City; and (4) pay for travel that Beard falsely claimed as business deductions on his taxes for a non-existent personal consulting business.”

According to the Department of Justice, in total, Beard stole at least tens of thousands of dollars from the City. By way of example only:

• In the summers of 2015 and 2016, Beard charged nearly $4,000 to the City for weekend stays at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. However, Beard was not in Chicago those weekends and the hotel rooms were actually for his stepdaughter to attend the Lollapalooza music festival.
• In December 2015, Beard ordered two custom-built machine guns using a purchase order and a $2,641.90 check from the city, telling the manufacturer that the machine guns were for the exclusive use of the Atlanta Police Department (“APD”) – even though Beard took the guns to his own home and APD had no knowledge of them.
• In April 2016, Beard charged more than $2,600 to the City for airfare and hotels for two-weekend trips to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Beard had no city business in New Orleans during either trip and took his wife one of the weekends and a different personal companion the other.
• In June 2016, Beard charged $975.52 to the city for travel to Washington, D.C. for a meeting with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”). Even though Beard had the city pay for this travel, Beard asked the MSRB to reimburse him personally for these costs and submitted copies of his receipts to the MSRB. As a result, the MSRB issued a check to Beard, which he kept and deposited into his personal bank account.
• In April 2017, Beard charged more than $10,000 to the City for a four-day stay for him and his wife at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, in a deluxe suite with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

He is one of at least seven former city employees and contractors who either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of bribery and theft-related charges.

Along with his prison time, Beard must pay a $10,000 fine and $177,197.48 in restitution.

The judge is allowing him to turn himself into prison when it’s time.