Former Finance Director of the City of Homewood Admits to Stealing Nearly $950,000
Robert Winston Burgett has been federally charged with three counts of wire fraud. He has pleaded guilty. Photo by Jefferson County Jail.
Robert Winston Burgett, 64, from Hueytown, and the former finance director for the City of Homewood, Ala., was charged with three counts of wire fraud on Aug. 18, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Alabama press release. On the same day, Burgett signed a plea agreement in response to the charges. Burgett admitted to using his position as Homewood’s finance director to embezzle nearly $950,000 from City of Homewood bank accounts between May 2023 and March 2024.
Transferring Money from City Funds to Bank Accounts He Controlled
With Burgett’s unlimited control of the city’s funds, he was able to move moderate amounts of money from Homewood’s bank account into a commercial account that he also controlled. This helped conceal his conduct as he stole thousands of dollars, prosecutors say. From there, he moved funds into his personal account, ultimately using it for personal expenses.
Burgett is also accused of altering Homewood bank statements and making fraudulent journal entries to cover up his scheme in the city’s accounting records. Investigative reporter Cynthia Gould was the first to report suspicious credit card spending by Homewood, which prompted state auditors to look deeper into Homewood’s finances, Gould said during an interview with a local ABC affiliate. The city’s audit found nearly a million dollars missing, which led them to Burgett.
“The City of Homewood was made aware this afternoon that the FBI’s investigation into former finance director Robert Burgett has resulted in Mr. Burgett pleading guilty to all of the charges against him. The City appreciates the work of the FBI, the US Attorney’s office, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office, and the Homewood Police Department in investigating this incident swiftly and thoroughly since it was reported to them by the City of Homewood. The City will continue to work with each of those entities through any further investigation,” the Mayor of Homewood, Patrick McClusky, said in a statement, as reported by a local Fox affiliate.
Arrested Six Days After Retirement
The investigation began on April 3, only four days after Burgett retired. He was arrested six days later, on April 9th, according to a local news report. Homewood police worked with a public accounting firm to conduct a forensic investigation on the City of Homewood’s funds, as well as the DA’s office and the FBI.
Burgett was charged with three counts of wire fraud, including aggravated theft with deception, and faces nearly 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Burgett’s Defense Attorney, Tommy Spina, said that Burgett accepts responsibility for his actions and has expressed extreme remorse, said Gould in her ABC investigation.
Burgett has agreed to plead guilty, and the court will soon set a date for him to officially enter his guilty plea with the court.
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